🔗 Share this article Can the planet's oldest president keep the title and attract a nation of young electorate? The planet's oldest leader - nonagenarian Paul Biya - has promised the nation's electorate "better days are ahead" as he aims for his 8th consecutive term in office this weekend. The elderly leader has already been in power since 1982 - an additional 7-year mandate could keep him in power for half a century until he will be almost 100. Election Issues He defied broad demands to step down and faced criticism for attending just a single campaign event, devoting much of the political race on a week-and-a-half unofficial journey to Europe. A backlash regarding his reliance on an artificial intelligence created election advertisement, as his rivals sought voters on the ground, saw him rush to the northern region after coming back. Young Population and Unemployment This indicates for the large portion of the citizenry, Biya remains the sole leader they remember - above sixty percent of Cameroon's 30 million inhabitants are under the 25 years old. Young political activist Marie Flore Mboussi is desperate for "fresh leadership" as she believes "longevity in power typically causes a kind of laziness". "Following four decades, the citizens are exhausted," she states. Youth unemployment remains a notable discussion topic for most of the aspirants running in the election. Approximately 40% of youthful residents between 15 to 35 years are unemployed, with twenty-three percent of recent graduates encountering difficulties in securing regular work. Rival Contenders Beyond youth unemployment, the electoral process has also stirred debate, notably concerning the exclusion of Maurice Kamto from the election contest. His exclusion, approved by the highest court, was generally denounced as a strategy to prevent any serious competition to the current leader. A dozen aspirants were authorized to vie for the presidency, featuring a former minister and Bello Bouba Maigari - both ex- Biya associates from the north of the country. Voting Challenges In Cameroon's English-speaking Northwest and South-West areas, where a long-running separatist conflict continues, an election boycott restriction has been imposed, halting commercial operations, movement and education. Insurgents who have enforced it have promised to attack anyone who participates. Starting four years ago, those seeking to create a independent territory have been battling state security. The conflict has until now caused the deaths of at minimum 6,000 people and caused nearly half a million others from their residences. Vote Outcome After Sunday's vote, the highest court has two weeks to declare the findings. The security chief has already warned that no aspirant is allowed to claim success beforehand. "Candidates who will try to announce results of the presidential election or any unofficial win announcement in violation of the laws of the nation would have crossed the red line and should be ready to encounter penalties matching their violation."