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Reuters
YAOUNDE (Reuters) - A top member of Cameroon's electoral body Elecam was sacked for gross negligence and violation of oath of office days ahead of a presidential poll in the Central African country, state radio said on Friday.

Opposition candidates had accused Pauline Biyong of campaigning for incumbent president and ruling party candidate Paul Biya, 78, who has ruled the country for nearly 30 years and is widely expected to take another term.

"Following complaints from election stakeholders... the Electoral Council unanimously decided by the 15 members present to terminate the appointment of election board member Pauline Biyong for gross negligence and violation of her oath," a statement from Elecam read over Cameroon state radio said.

Opposition parties including the main Social Democratic Front (SDF) had said Biyong had links with a firm that had won a contract to put up Biya's election posters on billboards across the country. Biya is facing 22 candidates in Sunday's poll.

Biyong was one of six people named by Biya to the Elecam board as a representative of civil society, taking the number of board members from 12 to 18 after opposition parties complained that most of the members were ruling party supporters.

Biyong could not be reached for comment.