Can the world's oldest leader keep his title and woo a country of youthful electorate?
The world's most aged leader - nonagenarian Paul Biya - has promised Cameroon's voters "better days are ahead" as he aims for his eighth straight presidential term on Sunday.
The nonagenarian has already been in office since 1982 - an additional 7-year mandate could keep him in power for 50 years reaching almost a century old.
Election Controversies
He ignored broad demands to leave office and has been criticised for making merely one rally, devoting much of the political race on a 10-day unofficial journey to the European continent.
Criticism regarding his dependence on an computer-generated political commercial, as his rivals actively wooed voters on the ground, led to his hurried travel north on his return home.
Youth Voters and Unemployment
This indicates for the large portion of the people, Biya has been the exclusive ruler they experienced - over sixty percent of Cameroon's thirty million inhabitants are under the quarter century mark.
Youthful political activist Marie Flore Mboussi strongly desires "different faces" as she believes "extended rule naturally results in a type of complacency".
"After 43 years, the people are weary," she states.
Young people's joblessness has become a particular issue of concern for the majority of the contenders participating in the political race.
Approximately forty percent of young residents between 15 and 35 are unemployed, with twenty-three percent of college-educated youth encountering difficulties in securing regular work.
Rival Contenders
Beyond young people's job issues, the voting procedure has also stirred dispute, especially with the removal of Maurice Kamto from the presidential race.
The disqualification, approved by the Constitutional Council, was broadly condemned as a tactic to stop any serious competition to the incumbent.
A dozen candidates were approved to compete for the country's top job, including an ex-government official and a previous supporter - both former Biya colleagues from the north of the country.
Voting Challenges
Within the nation's Anglophone North-West and Southwest regions, where a extended rebellion persists, an poll avoidance closure has been imposed, paralysing economic functions, movement and learning.
Insurgents who have established it have warned to harm people who casts a ballot.
Since 2017, those working toward a breakaway state have been battling government forces.
The conflict has to date resulted in at least 6k people and forced almost 500,000 others from their residences.
Vote Outcome
Following the election, the highest court has 15 days to declare the outcome.
The interior minister has already warned that no aspirant is allowed to announce winning in advance.
"Individuals who will seek to declare outcomes of the presidential election or any personal declaration of success in violation of the rules of the country would have crossed the red line and should be ready to face retaliatory measures commensurate to their offense."
