Can this world's most aged president keep his position and woo a country of young electorate?
The planet's oldest leader - nonagenarian Paul Biya - has promised Cameroon's voters "the future holds promise" as he pursues his 8th consecutive term in office this weekend.
The 92-year-old has stayed in power for over four decades - another 7-year mandate could keep him in power for 50 years making him almost 100.
Campaign Issues
He resisted numerous appeals to leave office and has been criticised for only showing up for one rally, spending most of the election season on a week-and-a-half private trip to Europe.
Criticism regarding his reliance on an computer-generated election advertisement, as his rivals courted constituents in person, led to his hurried travel to the northern region on his return home.
Young Voters and Joblessness
Consequently for the vast majority of the citizenry, Biya is the only president they experienced - above sixty percent of the nation's thirty million people are under the 25 years old.
Young advocate Marie Flore Mboussi is desperate for "new blood" as she maintains "longevity in power typically causes a type of complacency".
"Following four decades, the citizens are exhausted," she states.
Employment challenges for youth remains a notable issue of concern for most of the aspirants running in the political race.
Nearly 40% of young citizens aged from 15 to 35 years are unemployed, with 23% of recent graduates encountering difficulties in obtaining formal employment.
Opposition Contenders
Apart from young people's job issues, the electoral process has also stirred dispute, particularly regarding the removal of an opposition leader from the election contest.
The removal, approved by the legal authority, was widely criticised as a tactic to stop any serious competition to the incumbent.
A dozen candidates were authorized to compete for the leadership position, featuring a former minister and a previous supporter - each former Biya allies from the north of the country.
Voting Difficulties
Within the nation's Anglophone Northwest and South-West areas, where a protracted insurgency persists, an voting prohibition lockdown has been established, stopping business activities, transport and education.
The separatists who have enforced it have threatened to attack anyone who casts a ballot.
Beginning in 2017, those seeking to create a breakaway state have been fighting state security.
The fighting has so far killed at no fewer than 6k people and compelled almost half a million people from their homes.
Vote Outcome
Following the election, the Constitutional Council has fifteen days to declare the findings.
The government official has already warned that no candidate is authorized to announce winning prior to official results.
"Individuals who will try to reveal findings of the political race or any self-proclaimed victory against the regulations of the republic would have broken rules and need to be prepared to encounter penalties matching their violation."
