Will the planet's oldest leader retain his position and attract a nation of young electorate?
This world's oldest leader - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has pledged Cameroon's voters "better days are ahead" as he seeks his eighth straight presidential term this weekend.
The elderly leader has already been in power since 1982 - an additional seven-year term could keep him in power for half a century making him almost 100.
Campaign Controversies
He defied numerous appeals to leave office and drew backlash for making merely a single campaign event, devoting much of the election season on a ten-day private trip to Europe.
Negative reaction concerning his dependence on an computer-generated political commercial, as his rivals sought constituents directly, led to his hurried travel north on his return home.
Young Voters and Unemployment
It means that for the great bulk of the people, Biya remains the sole leader they have known - more than sixty percent of the nation's 30 million inhabitants are under the 25 years old.
Young campaigner Marie Flore Mboussi strongly desires "different faces" as she maintains "prolonged leadership inevitably leads to a sort of complacency".
"Following four decades, the people are tired," she says.
Youth unemployment has been a notable discussion topic for nearly all the candidates running in the political race.
Almost 40% of young Cameroonians between 15 and 35 are unemployed, with 23% of young graduates facing challenges in finding official jobs.
Opposition Candidates
In addition to youth unemployment, the voting procedure has created controversy, especially with the disqualification of Maurice Kamto from the leadership competition.
The removal, confirmed by the Constitutional Council, was broadly condemned as a tactic to prevent any significant opposition to the current leader.
12 contenders were authorized to compete for the presidency, including a former minister and a previous supporter - each previous Biya associates from the north of the nation.
Election Challenges
In Cameroon's Anglophone Northwest and Southwest territories, where a long-running rebellion continues, an poll avoidance restriction has been imposed, stopping economic functions, movement and schooling.
Insurgents who have imposed it have threatened to attack individuals who casts a ballot.
Beginning in 2017, those attempting to establish a breakaway state have been battling official military.
The violence has until now resulted in at no fewer than six thousand individuals and forced nearly 500,000 others from their homes.
Vote Outcome
Once polling concludes, the highest court has two weeks to declare the findings.
The government official has already warned that no candidate is allowed to claim success in advance.
"Individuals who will try to announce results of the leadership vote or any self-proclaimed victory in violation of the rules of the country would have violated boundaries and need to be prepared to receive consequences commensurate to their offense."
