Paul Biya, the world’s oldest president, is seeking to extend his 42-year rule of Cameroon.
Voters in Cameroon, in Central Africa, will go to the polls on Sunday. Absent from the ballot is Maurice Kamto, Mr. Biya’s main opponent, who was barred from running by the country’s electoral board.
Analysts said the vote would be the most consequential in the country’s recent history. Living conditions have plummeted as the prices of fuel and other basic goods have increased.
Mr. Biya, 92, promised that if re-elected, he would fix the economy, take on youth unemployment and address poverty. “I will never resign myself to the current situation,” he said at a rally on Tuesday. “Certainly, much has already been done. But I can assure you that the best is still to come.”
But his tight grip on power may be waning. An unexpectedly spirited opposition led by former allies and young voters has taken root in recent months, inspired by a wave of Gen Z uprisings in Africa and around the world.
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Mr. Kamto was barred from the ballot after the electoral commission controversially delayed a parliamentary election until next year. That decision left Mr. Kamto’s party with no seats, making him ineligible to run for president.