Will this planet's oldest president retain his title and attract a country of youthful voters?
The planet's oldest head of state - nonagenarian Paul Biya - has pledged Cameroon's voters "the best is still to come" as he pursues his 8th consecutive presidential term this weekend.
The 92-year-old has remained in office since 1982 - an additional seven-year term could extend his reign for half a century until he will be almost 100.
Election Controversies
He defied widespread calls to step down and faced criticism for making merely one rally, devoting much of the election season on a week-and-a-half unofficial journey to the European continent.
A backlash over his reliance on an AI-generated campaign video, as his rivals actively wooed voters in person, led to his hurried travel to the northern region after coming back.
Youth Population and Joblessness
It means that for the vast majority of the people, Biya remains the sole leader they experienced - more than sixty percent of the nation's 30 million residents are below the age of 25.
Young campaigner Marie Flore Mboussi strongly desires "new blood" as she maintains "extended rule inevitably leads to a type of inertia".
"With 43 years passed, the citizens are exhausted," she declares.
Employment challenges for youth has become a specific discussion topic for the majority of the candidates participating in the election.
Nearly forty percent of young citizens between 15 to 35 years are unemployed, with twenty-three percent of recent graduates facing challenges in obtaining formal employment.
Rival Candidates
In addition to youth unemployment, the electoral process has created dispute, especially with the disqualification of Maurice Kamto from the presidential race.
His exclusion, upheld by the Constitutional Council, was generally denounced as a strategy to prevent any strong challenge to President Biya.
A dozen contenders were approved to vie for the leadership position, including an ex-government official and a previous supporter - the two previous Biya associates from the north of the nation.
Election Difficulties
In Cameroon's Anglophone Northwest and South-West regions, where a long-running insurgency ongoing, an poll avoidance lockdown has been imposed, halting economic functions, movement and learning.
Rebel groups who have imposed it have warned to harm anyone who casts a ballot.
Beginning in 2017, those attempting to establish a breakaway state have been clashing with official military.
The violence has until now resulted in at minimum 6k people and compelled approximately 500,000 people from their residences.
Election Results
Once polling concludes, the legal body has two weeks to announce the results.
The interior minister has earlier advised that no candidate is permitted to announce winning in advance.
"Individuals who will try to announce results of the presidential election or any self-proclaimed victory in violation of the laws of the republic would have violated boundaries and should be ready to face retaliatory measures commensurate to their violation."
