Can this planet's oldest leader keep the position and attract a country of young electorate?
The planet's oldest head of state - nonagenarian Paul Biya - has pledged the nation's electorate "better days are ahead" as he aims for his 8th consecutive term in office this weekend.
The nonagenarian has remained in office since 1982 - another seven-year mandate could keep him in power for 50 years reaching almost a century old.
Campaign Issues
He defied broad demands to resign and drew backlash for attending just a single campaign event, spending most of the political race on a 10-day private trip to Europe.
Criticism over his reliance on an AI-generated political commercial, as his rivals sought voters on the ground, saw him rush north after coming back.
Young Voters and Unemployment
This indicates for the vast majority of the people, Biya remains the sole leader they remember - above sixty percent of Cameroon's thirty million people are under the 25 years old.
Young political activist Marie Flore Mboussi strongly desires "fresh leadership" as she thinks "prolonged leadership typically causes a sort of complacency".
"With 43 years passed, the people are exhausted," she states.
Employment challenges for youth has been a notable discussion topic for most of the contenders competing in the political race.
Nearly 40% of young Cameroonians aged from 15-35 are jobless, with twenty-three percent of recent graduates facing challenges in finding official jobs.
Rival Candidates
Apart from young people's job issues, the electoral process has created debate, especially with the removal of an opposition leader from the leadership competition.
His exclusion, approved by the legal authority, was broadly condemned as a tactic to block any significant opposition to the incumbent.
Twelve candidates were cleared to compete for the leadership position, including a former minister and a previous supporter - both previous Biya colleagues from the north of the nation.
Election Challenges
Within the nation's English-speaking Northwest and South-West regions, where a extended separatist conflict ongoing, an voting prohibition restriction has been imposed, paralysing economic functions, travel and learning.
Rebel groups who have enforced it have threatened to harm people who casts a ballot.
Since 2017, those attempting to establish a separate nation have been battling official military.
The violence has until now resulted in at minimum 6k individuals and forced approximately five hundred thousand residents from their homes.
Vote Outcome
Following the election, the legal body has fifteen days to declare the outcome.
The security chief has earlier advised that no aspirant is authorized to declare victory in advance.
"Candidates who will try to announce results of the presidential election or any self-proclaimed victory against the regulations of the republic would have broken rules and must prepare to encounter consequences matching their violation."
