Voters in Senegal will head to the polls on Sunday for parliamentary elections. The opposition is hopeful that these elections will force President Macky Sall to form a coalition government with them and thwart any plans he may have for a third term.
Current President Sall, who is now sixty years old and was elected in 2012 for seven years and then re-elected in 2019 for another five, has been accused of intending to breach the two-term restriction and run for office again in 2024.

He has not provided any clear answers on the matter, but the possibility exists that such preparations may be derailed if his followers are unsuccessful on Sunday.

It is anticipated that polling places will open at 0800 GMT and remain open until 1800 GMT.

The results of the single round of voting will determine who will hold the 165 seats in the unicameral parliament for the next five years. The president’s allies now have a majority of these seats.

The election of legislators is conducted using a system that combines proportional representation with national lists for 53 members and majority voting in the country’s ministries for the remaining 97 lawmakers.

The remaining fifteen members of parliament are chosen by the country’s expatriate population.

This year, eight coalitions are running for office, one of which is Yewwi Askan Wi, which means “Liberate the People” in Wolof and is the primary opposition alliance.

Ousmane Sonko, who is one of its most prominent members, finished in third place in the presidential election in 2019.

On the other hand, he and the other members of the alliance are not allowed to compete in the elections that will take place on Sunday due to technical reasons.

In preparation for the election, Yewwi Askan Wi has partnered with Wallu Senegal, whose name translates as “Save Senegal” in Wolof. Former President Abdoulaye Wade heads Wallu Senegal.

The two factions have come to an understanding that they will collaborate to win a legislative majority and “compel governmental cohabitation.”

They also want Sall to be coerced into giving up any chance he might have of standing for office in 2024.

The opposition was victorious in the municipal elections held in March across the country’s largest cities, including the nation’s capital of Dakar, as well as Ziguinchor in the south and Thies in the west.

After the national list of candidates for the Yewwi Askan Wi alliance was thrown out by the authorities at the beginning of June due to certain technical issues, Sonko and other members of the coalition were not allowed to participate in the elections that were held on Sunday.

It turned out that one of the names had been entered into the list inadvertently as a first-choice candidate as well as an alternate candidate, which rendered the entire list ineligible.

That provoked violent demonstrations, which ultimately resulted in the deaths of at least three individuals.

Tensions began to decrease on June 29 as the opposition announced that they would finally participate in the polls.