Polls close in Cameroon

President Biya has been in power for 20 years

Voting has ended in Cameroon's parliamentary and local elections.

Some polling stations closed late, to accommodate increased numbers of voters following the end of the World Cup. Earlier in the day polling had been slow.

The governing Cameroon People's Democratic Movement is trying to extend its majority in parliament, where it already holds 116 of the 180 seats.

The vote was scheduled for last Sunday, but was postponed at the last moment for a week.

Forty-seven parties are competing in the national assembly vote and 27 in local elections.

Minister sacked

Both polls were due to have taken place last week, but after discovering the state-run printing press had not finished printing all the ballots, President Paul Biya halted voting and fired his interior minister, who had been responsible for organising the elections.

Opposition leaders say the logistical problems demonstrated the failings of Mr Biya's government.

On Friday, thousands of supporters of the main opposition party, the Social Democratic Front (SDF) stormed administrative offices in the commercial capital, Douala, demanding their voter cards.

The SDF has accused the administrative authorities in the city of being biased towards the ruling party.

Some opposition supporters had threatened to disrupt the ballot.

However, no incidents have been reported.

Anglo grievances

Legislative elections were last held in Cameroon in 1997.

At the time the opposition claimed massive vote fraud and called - unsuccessfully - for the results to be annulled.

President Biya's Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC) has ruled the country since coming to power under a one-party system in 1982.

Mr Biya's hold on power was loosened only slightly in the early 1990s with the advent of multiparty politics.

Besides being home to about 250 ethnic groups, Cameroon has a small English-speaking region in the west.

French is the predominant language elsewhere.

English-speakers say they are treated as second-class citizens and have lobbied for years for autonomy or secession.