Can the planet's most aged president keep his title and woo a nation of youthful voters?
This world's oldest leader - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has promised Cameroon's voters "the future holds promise" as he seeks his 8th consecutive presidential term on Sunday.
The 92-year-old has stayed in office since 1982 - another seven-year term could keep him in power for 50 years making him almost a century old.
Election Issues
He defied broad demands to resign and has been criticised for making merely a single campaign event, devoting much of the election season on a ten-day unofficial journey to the European continent.
Criticism over his reliance on an computer-generated election advertisement, as his opponents sought constituents in person, led to his hurried travel to the northern region on his return home.
Youth Voters and Joblessness
Consequently for the great bulk of the population, Biya is the only president they experienced - over 60% of Cameroon's 30 million residents are below the 25 years old.
Young advocate Marie Flore Mboussi urgently wants "new blood" as she maintains "longevity in power inevitably leads to a kind of inertia".
"After 43 years, the citizens are weary," she states.
Youth unemployment has become a specific discussion topic for nearly all the aspirants participating in the vote.
Nearly forty percent of youthful citizens between 15 and 35 are unemployed, with twenty-three percent of college-educated youth facing challenges in finding regular work.
Opposition Contenders
In addition to young people's job issues, the election system has generated debate, particularly regarding the removal of a political rival from the presidential race.
The removal, approved by the legal authority, was generally denounced as a tactic to stop any significant opposition to the current leader.
12 contenders were cleared to compete for the country's top job, featuring an ex-government official and a previous supporter - both previous Biya allies from the north of the country.
Voting Difficulties
In Cameroon's Anglophone North-West and South-West regions, where a protracted separatist conflict ongoing, an poll avoidance restriction has been enforced, stopping economic functions, transport and schooling.
The separatists who have enforced it have threatened to harm individuals who does vote.
Since 2017, those attempting to establish a separate nation have been battling state security.
The fighting has until now resulted in at least 6,000 lives and forced nearly half a million residents from their homes.
Vote Outcome
Following the election, the legal body has 15 days to reveal the findings.
The security chief has earlier advised that no candidate is permitted to announce winning in advance.
"Candidates who will attempt to declare outcomes of the leadership vote or any unofficial win announcement against the rules of the country would have broken rules and need to be prepared to encounter consequences commensurate to their crime."
