Can the planet's oldest leader keep his title and attract a nation of young voters?
This planet's oldest head of state - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has pledged Cameroon's electorate "the best is still to come" as he seeks his eighth straight presidential term on Sunday.
The elderly leader has already been in power for over four decades - another seven-year term could extend his reign for half a century reaching almost 100.
Election Issues
He ignored broad demands to step down and has been criticised for attending just one public appearance, spending most of the election season on a 10-day private trip to the European continent.
A backlash concerning his use of an computer-generated election advertisement, as his challengers actively wooed voters directly, led to his hurried travel to the northern region on his return home.
Young Voters and Unemployment
This indicates for the large portion of the people, Biya is the only president they have known - above 60% of the nation's thirty million people are below the 25 years old.
Youthful advocate Marie Flore Mboussi strongly desires "fresh leadership" as she maintains "prolonged leadership inevitably leads to a sort of laziness".
"Following four decades, the population are exhausted," she declares.
Young people's joblessness remains a specific discussion topic for the majority of the contenders running in the political race.
Nearly 40% of youthful Cameroonians aged from 15 to 35 years are without work, with 23% of young graduates encountering difficulties in finding official jobs.
Rival Candidates
Beyond young people's job issues, the election system has also stirred controversy, particularly regarding the removal of a political rival from the election contest.
The removal, approved by the Constitutional Council, was generally denounced as a strategy to prevent any strong challenge to the current leader.
A dozen contenders were approved to compete for the country's top job, including Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba Maigari - the two previous Biya allies from the northern region of the country.
Voting Challenges
Within the nation's English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions, where a long-running insurgency persists, an poll avoidance restriction has been enforced, stopping economic functions, travel and learning.
Insurgents who have imposed it have warned to target anyone who casts a ballot.
Beginning in 2017, those working toward a independent territory have been fighting official military.
The fighting has so far caused the deaths of at least 6k individuals and compelled almost five hundred thousand people from their homes.
Vote Outcome
After Sunday's vote, the highest court has fifteen days to reveal the results.
The interior minister has earlier advised that no aspirant is allowed to claim success beforehand.
"Those who will try to reveal findings of the political race or any self-proclaimed victory contrary to the regulations of the republic would have violated boundaries and should be ready to receive retaliatory measures appropriate for their violation."
