Can the world's oldest leader keep his title and woo a country of youthful voters?
This world's most aged head of state - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has assured the nation's electorate "better days are ahead" as he pursues his eighth straight term in office this weekend.
The 92-year-old has stayed in office for over four decades - an additional seven-year mandate could keep him in power for 50 years reaching almost a century old.
Election Controversies
He resisted broad demands to step down and has been criticised for only showing up for one public appearance, spending most of the campaign period on a week-and-a-half unofficial journey to Europe.
Criticism over his dependence on an computer-generated campaign video, as his rivals actively wooed supporters in person, led to his hurried travel to the northern region after coming back.
Youth Population and Joblessness
It means that for the large portion of the population, Biya has been the exclusive ruler they experienced - more than 60% of Cameroon's thirty million residents are younger than the 25 years old.
Youthful advocate Marie Flore Mboussi strongly desires "new blood" as she maintains "extended rule naturally results in a sort of complacency".
"With 43 years passed, the citizens are exhausted," she declares.
Youth unemployment has become a specific discussion topic for most of the aspirants competing in the vote.
Almost forty percent of youthful residents between 15-35 are without work, with 23% of college-educated youth facing challenges in securing official jobs.
Rival Candidates
In addition to young people's job issues, the election system has generated dispute, especially with the disqualification of an opposition leader from the election contest.
The disqualification, confirmed by the highest court, was generally denounced as a ploy to block any strong challenge to the incumbent.
A dozen aspirants were approved to compete for the presidency, featuring Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba Maigari - each ex- Biya colleagues from the north of the country.
Voting Difficulties
Within the nation's Anglophone Northwest and Southwest regions, where a long-running rebellion persists, an voting prohibition lockdown has been enforced, halting business activities, travel and schooling.
The separatists who have imposed it have threatened to harm individuals who participates.
Starting four years ago, those attempting to establish a separate nation have been fighting state security.
The fighting has so far caused the deaths of at no fewer than six thousand people and compelled nearly half a million people from their homes.
Vote Outcome
After Sunday's vote, the Constitutional Council has 15 days to announce the outcome.
The interior minister has earlier advised that none of the contenders is permitted to claim success in advance.
"Candidates who will try to reveal findings of the political race or any self-proclaimed victory contrary to the regulations of the nation would have broken rules and need to be prepared to face retaliatory measures matching their offense."
