Can this world's oldest leader keep the position and attract a nation of youthful voters?
This planet's most aged leader - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has assured Cameroon's voters "the future holds promise" as he seeks his 8th consecutive term in office on Sunday.
The 92-year-old has already been in office since 1982 - another seven-year term could see him rule for 50 years making him almost 100.
Election Controversies
He ignored broad demands to leave office and drew backlash for only showing up for one rally, using the majority of the campaign period on a ten-day private trip to the European continent.
A backlash concerning his reliance on an AI-generated election advertisement, as his challengers courted supporters on the ground, saw him rush to the northern region after coming back.
Young Population and Unemployment
This indicates for the vast majority of the people, Biya remains the sole leader they experienced - over sixty percent of Cameroon's thirty million residents are below the age of 25.
Youthful advocate Marie Flore Mboussi strongly desires "different faces" as she maintains "prolonged leadership naturally results in a kind of complacency".
"Following four decades, the citizens are weary," she declares.
Young people's joblessness has become a specific issue of concern for the majority of the candidates participating in the political race.
Approximately 40% of youthful citizens aged from 15-35 are jobless, with twenty-three percent of college-educated youth experiencing problems in securing regular work.
Rival Candidates
Beyond young people's job issues, the election system has also stirred controversy, notably concerning the disqualification of Maurice Kamto from the election contest.
His exclusion, confirmed by the highest court, was generally denounced as a ploy to stop any significant opposition to President Biya.
Twelve candidates were authorized to contest for the presidency, featuring a former minister and Bello Bouba Maigari - each former Biya colleagues from the north of the country.
Election Challenges
In Cameroon's English-speaking Northwest and Southwest areas, where a protracted separatist conflict ongoing, an election boycott closure has been imposed, halting commercial operations, transport and learning.
Insurgents who have established it have threatened to attack people who casts a ballot.
Since 2017, those seeking to create a separate nation have been battling state security.
The violence has to date caused the deaths of at no fewer than 6,000 people and compelled almost 500,000 residents from their homes.
Election Results
Following the election, the highest court has 15 days to announce the findings.
The government official has already warned that no aspirant is permitted to announce winning beforehand.
"Candidates who will attempt to reveal findings of the political race or any unofficial win announcement contrary to the laws of the country would have broken rules and need to be prepared to receive retaliatory measures matching their offense."
