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The world's oldest leader - 92-year-old Paul Biya - has pledged Cameroon's voters "better days are ahead" as he aims for his eighth straight term in office on Sunday.

The nonagenarian has remained in office for over four decades - an additional seven-year term could extend his reign for half a century until he will be almost 100.

Campaign Issues

He resisted broad demands to leave office and faced criticism for attending just one public appearance, devoting much of the election season on a 10-day unofficial journey to Europe.

Negative reaction over his dependence on an computer-generated political commercial, as his rivals actively wooed supporters directly, saw him rush to the northern region upon his arrival.

Young Voters and Unemployment

This indicates for the large portion of the people, Biya is the only president they remember - over sixty percent of the nation's 30 million people are younger than the 25 years old.

Young campaigner Marie Flore Mboussi urgently wants "fresh leadership" as she believes "extended rule typically causes a sort of complacency".

"With 43 years passed, the population are exhausted," she states.

Employment challenges for youth has been a particular discussion topic for nearly all the contenders running in the election.

Almost 40% of young citizens aged from 15 and 35 are unemployed, with twenty-three percent of young graduates facing challenges in securing regular work.

Rival Candidates

Beyond youth unemployment, the election system has created controversy, especially with the removal of a political rival from the election contest.

The removal, upheld by the highest court, was broadly condemned as a strategy to stop any serious competition to the current leader.

A dozen aspirants were authorized to compete for the leadership position, featuring a former minister and another former ally - both previous Biya colleagues from the northern region of the country.

Election Challenges

Within the nation's Anglophone Northwest and Southwest areas, where a long-running separatist conflict continues, an election boycott closure has been established, paralysing business activities, travel and education.

The separatists who have enforced it have promised to harm individuals who does vote.

Starting four years ago, those seeking to create a breakaway state have been clashing with state security.

The conflict has so far resulted in at no fewer than 6k people and caused nearly half a million residents from their homes.

Vote Outcome

Once polling concludes, the legal body has fifteen days to reveal the outcome.

The interior minister has previously cautioned that no candidate is permitted to claim success in advance.

"Candidates who will seek to announce results of the presidential election or any self-proclaimed victory against the regulations of the republic would have violated boundaries and must prepare to receive retaliatory measures matching their crime."