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This world's oldest leader - nonagenarian Paul Biya - has pledged the nation's electorate "better days are ahead" as he pursues his 8th straight term in office on Sunday.

The 92-year-old has remained in office since 1982 - an additional 7-year term could see him rule for half a century until he will be almost 100.

Election Controversies

He resisted numerous appeals to step down and drew backlash for making merely a single campaign event, devoting much of the political race on a 10-day personal visit to the European continent.

Negative reaction concerning his dependence on an AI-generated political commercial, as his challengers actively wooed voters directly, saw him rush north after coming back.

Youth Voters and Unemployment

This indicates for the large portion of the citizenry, Biya is the only president they remember - above sixty percent of Cameroon's 30 million people are under the 25 years old.

Young advocate Marie Flore Mboussi is desperate for "fresh leadership" as she thinks "extended rule typically causes a type of inertia".

"Following four decades, the people are tired," she says.

Young people's joblessness remains a particular issue of concern for the majority of the aspirants competing in the election.

Approximately forty percent of young Cameroonians aged from 15 and 35 are unemployed, with twenty-three percent of college-educated youth experiencing problems in obtaining official jobs.

Opposition Contenders

Beyond young people's job issues, the electoral process has also stirred controversy, particularly regarding the disqualification of Maurice Kamto from the election contest.

The removal, upheld by the legal authority, was generally denounced as a tactic to stop any significant opposition to President Biya.

12 aspirants were authorized to compete for the presidency, featuring Issa Tchiroma Bakary and a previous supporter - the two former Biya colleagues from the northern region of the country.

Voting Difficulties

Within the nation's Anglophone Northwest and Southwest territories, where a long-running separatist conflict continues, an election boycott restriction has been established, stopping business activities, movement and schooling.

Rebel groups who have enforced it have warned to harm anyone who participates.

Since 2017, those working toward a breakaway state have been clashing with official military.

The conflict has until now resulted in at no fewer than 6k lives and compelled nearly half a million residents from their homes.

Election Results

Once polling concludes, the legal body has two weeks to declare the outcome.

The interior minister has earlier advised that no aspirant is allowed to claim success in advance.

"Individuals who will try to reveal findings of the presidential election or any personal declaration of success in violation of the rules of the country would have broken rules and need to be prepared to face retaliatory measures commensurate to their crime."