In Central African country, Cameroon, over 8 million people are set to vote on Sunday to elect a new president.
12 candidates are vying for the first gentleman position including the country’s current president, a 92-year-old who has been in power since 1982.
Polls put Paul Biya ahead in today’s elections despite a push by opposition candidates to unseat him.
Under Paul Biya’s 43 years rule, Cameroon has seen a worsening internal conflict in the Anglophone regions, decline in living conditions, high unemployment, corruption and poor infrastructure, despite the country being rich in cocoa and oil.
Despite this, Paul Biya says he wants to be retained to tackle the challenges.
“I am well aware of the problems that concern you, I know the unfulfilled expectations that make you doubt the future. Based on my own experience, I can assure you that these problems are not insurmountable,” he said in his first campaign appearance on October 7.
Biya’s key contenders among the 11 candidates include 76-year-old Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former minister under Paul Biya’s administration, 73-year-old Akere Muna and 78-year-old Bello Bouba Maigari, all promising to end economic stagnation and security crises.
Cameroon’s election is governed by the country’s Constitution and the Electoral Code, which provides for a first past-the-post system, meaning the candidate with the most votes wins without a majority requirement.
The Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), the body mandated to oversee elections is given 15 days to declare results as various election observers gather in the country to monitor the much-anticipated election.
