Senegal goes to the polls Sunday with President Abdoulaye Wade facing 14 candidates for the top job in a west African country celebrated as one of the few democracies on the continent.
The octogenarian incumbent president, who unsuccessfully tried at the ballots four times during 26 years in opposition before making it at the fifth trial in 2000, is seeking a second term.
He has said he is confident he will romp to victory.
Seen as a symbol of change in Senegal after breaking four decades of socialist rule in the former French colony, Wade faces among his rivals, a former prime minister he sacked two years ago.
Idrissa Seck, 47, was once considered the obvious successor to Wade before falling out of favour and being imprisoned by Wade for seven months.
Other leading contenders are the 60-year-old Ousmane Tanor Dieng, a socialist of the former ruling party, and the dissident Moustapha Niasse, 68, an ex-prime minister who served in the governments of both Wade and his socialist predecessor Abdou Diouf.
About five million people in this predominantly Muslim country situated on the west coast of Africa are eligible to vote.
The elections are the second after power changed hands in the 2000 elections which brought to an end 40 years of rule by the Socialist Party, in a country lauded for its peace and stability in an otherwise troubled region.
Senegal is the only country in West African which has not experienced a military coup.
Voting is set to begin at 8am and close 10 hours later at the more than 11 000 polling stations.
Campaigning, which was generally peaceful ended on a violent note this week after rival supporters clashed in Dakar.
The skirmishes, pitting Wade loyalists against supporters of former prime minister Seck, injured at least 10 people, causing concern after an otherwise colourful but calm election campaign.
Legislatives, which were to have taken place at the same time as the presidentials, have been postponed to June. - Sapa-AFP