Will this world's most aged leader retain the title and attract a country of young voters?
The world's most aged leader - nonagenarian Paul Biya - has assured Cameroon's electorate "the future holds promise" as he seeks his eighth consecutive term in office on Sunday.
The nonagenarian has stayed in power since 1982 - another 7-year mandate could keep him in power for half a century until he will be almost 100.
Campaign Issues
He defied numerous appeals to step down and drew backlash for only showing up for a single campaign event, devoting much of the election season on a ten-day unofficial journey to Europe.
Negative reaction concerning his use of an computer-generated campaign video, as his rivals sought constituents directly, saw him rush to the northern region upon his arrival.
Young Voters and Joblessness
Consequently for the vast majority of the population, Biya remains the sole leader they remember - more than 60% of the nation's 30 million residents are below the quarter century mark.
Young political activist Marie Flore Mboussi strongly desires "fresh leadership" as she thinks "longevity in power inevitably leads to a kind of laziness".
"With 43 years passed, the citizens are weary," she states.
Employment challenges for youth remains a particular talking point for the majority of the contenders running in the election.
Almost 40% of young residents between 15-35 are unemployed, with 23% of young graduates experiencing problems in finding official jobs.
Opposition Candidates
Beyond young people's job issues, the electoral process has generated debate, particularly regarding the exclusion of an opposition leader from the leadership competition.
His exclusion, confirmed by the legal authority, was generally denounced as a ploy to stop any strong challenge to the current leader.
A dozen candidates were approved to vie for the leadership position, featuring an ex-government official and Bello Bouba Maigari - both former Biya allies from the north of the nation.
Election Challenges
In Cameroon's Anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions, where a protracted insurgency persists, an election boycott lockdown has been enforced, halting business activities, movement and learning.
Rebel groups who have enforced it have warned to target individuals who does vote.
Since 2017, those attempting to establish a breakaway state have been clashing with official military.
The violence has to date killed at least 6,000 people and forced approximately 500,000 others from their homes.
Election Results
Once polling concludes, the highest court has two weeks to declare the outcome.
The interior minister has previously cautioned that none of the contenders is authorized to declare victory beforehand.
"Candidates who will seek to announce results of the presidential election or any personal declaration of success contrary to the rules of the nation would have broken rules and should be ready to encounter penalties commensurate to their offense."
