By Diadie Ba and Bate Felix

DAKAR (Reuters – Senegal votes at municipal and regional elections Sunday amid rising political tensions about whether President Macky Sall will try to prolong his rule beyond the two term limit. This is despite being a country that has been long considered one Africa’s most stable democracy.

The elections will be seen by the opposition as a strength test ahead of the June legislative election and then the fight for the presidency in 2024.

Some of the opposition parties formed a coalition to prevent Sall from attempting to defeat them, who has been accused of unfairly targeting political challengers.

Ousmane Khauma, Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar said that “a lot is at stake for both the political parties and the coalitions of parties”

Sall (60) came to power 2012, and was reelected in 2019.

Following a 2016 constitution referendum that may have been used to reset the clock, Conde has not rule out seeking another term. Alassane Pouattara from Ivory Coast and Alpha Conde, Guinea’s ex-President, used similar constitutional devices to run again, despite protests.

Over 15,000 voting stations are anticipated to be visited by approximately 6.6 million voters.

Capital Dakar is currently the most valuable prize. The ruling party coalition list, which is headed by Senegal’s Health Minister Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, is in control of this capital.

Six opposition parties will oppose him including Soham Elwardini, who is the outgoing mayor and the popular opposition mayor of Dakar Mermoz municipal Barthelemy Dias.

Dias has joined a coalition of 47-year-old Ousmane sonko, an opposition leader and firebrand. Ousmane was third in 2019’s presidential election. He is considered to be a challenger in 2024.

Sonko, who is the leader of the opposition in the fight to capture Ziguinchor (the capital of Casamance), the southern city of Senegal.

After a rape allegation, Sall’s arrest in January sparked violent protests that stoked suspicions President Sall might be interfering with the justice system to pursue potential opponents.

Sonko said at a recent campaign rally, “The change that we want in the 2024 Presidential Election starts on January 23, 20,22.”