Will this world's oldest president retain his position and attract a country of youthful voters?
The world's most aged leader - nonagenarian Paul Biya - has assured Cameroon's electorate "the best is still to come" as he seeks his eighth consecutive presidential term on Sunday.
The nonagenarian has stayed in power since 1982 - an additional 7-year mandate could extend his reign for 50 years reaching almost a century old.
Election Issues
He ignored broad demands to step down and has been criticised for attending just a single campaign event, using the majority of the election season on a ten-day private trip to Europe.
A backlash concerning his dependence on an AI-generated political commercial, as his opponents courted voters directly, saw him rush to the northern region on his return home.
Young Voters and Unemployment
This indicates for the large portion of the population, Biya has been the exclusive ruler they experienced - over 60% of the nation's 30 million residents are below the 25 years old.
Young advocate Marie Flore Mboussi is desperate for "new blood" as she maintains "longevity in power inevitably leads to a kind of laziness".
"After 43 years, the population are tired," she declares.
Youth unemployment has become a particular talking point for nearly all the candidates competing in the vote.
Almost forty percent of youthful residents aged from 15 to 35 years are without work, with twenty-three percent of young graduates experiencing problems in finding formal employment.
Opposition Candidates
Apart from young people's job issues, the electoral process has generated dispute, particularly regarding the disqualification of a political rival from the leadership competition.
The removal, approved by the Constitutional Council, was broadly condemned as a tactic to block any serious competition to the incumbent.
Twelve aspirants were cleared to vie for the leadership position, comprising a former minister and a previous supporter - the two previous Biya associates from the northern region of the country.
Election Challenges
Within the nation's English-speaking Northwest and South-West regions, where a long-running separatist conflict continues, an poll avoidance restriction has been imposed, stopping economic functions, movement and learning.
Rebel groups who have imposed it have threatened to attack individuals who does vote.
Starting four years ago, those attempting to establish a independent territory have been fighting state security.
The fighting has until now caused the deaths of at minimum six thousand individuals and compelled approximately half a million others from their homes.
Vote Outcome
Once polling concludes, the legal body has two weeks to reveal the findings.
The security chief has previously cautioned that none of the contenders is permitted to declare victory beforehand.
"Individuals who will try to announce results of the political race or any unofficial win announcement contrary to the rules of the country would have crossed the red line and should be ready to receive penalties matching their offense."
