Will this planet's most aged president retain his title and attract a nation of youthful voters?
The world's most aged head of state - nonagenarian Paul Biya - has pledged the nation's electorate "the future holds promise" as he pursues his eighth straight presidential term on Sunday.
The 92-year-old has remained in power since 1982 - another 7-year term could extend his reign for half a century reaching almost 100.
Campaign Issues
He defied widespread calls to resign and faced criticism for making merely a single campaign event, spending most of the election season on a 10-day unofficial journey to Europe.
A backlash concerning his use of an AI-generated campaign video, as his challengers actively wooed constituents on the ground, led to his hurried travel to the northern region upon his arrival.
Young Voters and Unemployment
This indicates for the large portion of the people, Biya is the only president they have known - over 60% of Cameroon's thirty million residents are under the quarter century mark.
Young campaigner Marie Flore Mboussi urgently wants "new blood" as she believes "prolonged leadership naturally results in a type of inertia".
"With 43 years passed, the population are exhausted," she says.
Employment challenges for youth has been a particular discussion topic for nearly all the contenders competing in the election.
Nearly forty percent of youthful Cameroonians aged from 15 and 35 are jobless, with 23% of recent graduates encountering difficulties in obtaining official jobs.
Opposition Candidates
Beyond youth unemployment, the voting procedure has created debate, notably concerning the exclusion of an opposition leader from the election contest.
The disqualification, confirmed by the legal authority, was generally denounced as a ploy to block any serious competition to the incumbent.
12 contenders were authorized to vie for the presidency, including Issa Tchiroma Bakary and a previous supporter - both previous Biya colleagues from the northern region of the nation.
Voting Difficulties
In Cameroon's English-speaking Northwest and Southwest areas, where a extended separatist conflict persists, an poll avoidance restriction has been enforced, stopping economic functions, movement and schooling.
The separatists who have established it have threatened to attack people who participates.
Beginning in 2017, those working toward a separate nation have been fighting government forces.
The violence has so far caused the deaths of at least 6,000 lives and caused approximately five hundred thousand residents from their homes.
Election Results
Following the election, the legal body has 15 days to announce the findings.
The government official has already warned that no aspirant is permitted to announce winning prior to official results.
"Individuals who will attempt to announce results of the presidential election or any personal declaration of success contrary to the laws of the republic would have broken rules and need to be prepared to face retaliatory measures matching their violation."
