Cameroonian president Paul Biya has ruled the country since 1982. (EPA Images pic)YAOUNDE: Cameroonian president Paul Biya, the world's oldest head of state, announced on Monday that legislative and local elections will be held on Feb 7 -- the first ballots since the veteran leader was re-elected in contested polls last year.
Biya, 93, has ruled the country since 1982, but his re-election was rejected by the opposition and led to demonstrations bloodily suppressed by the authorities.
The new polls come in a tense political context, marked by the repression of the opposition and the inertia of those in power at the top of the state.
The announcement was made in a decree read on public radio and follows two postponements of the elections.
