BENIN

LAST ELECTIONS

Also available: Archive of past election results for this chamber

Chamber:

Assemblée nationale

Dates of election / renewal (from/to):

31 March 2007

Purpose of elections:

Elections were held for all the seats in the National Assembly on the normal expiry of the member's term of office.

Background and outcome of elections:

Parliamentary elections, which were due to take place on 25 March 2007 were postponed to 31 March as a result of numerous logistic problems including the delay in printing ballot papers and delivery of election materials to polling stations.

The 2007 elections were the first to be held under President Thomas Boni Yayi, who was elected in March 2006 with nearly 75 per cent of the votes. He succeeded Mr. Mathieu Kérékou, who had led the country for most of the period since 1972, except between 1991 and 1995 when Mr. Nicéphore Soglo was President. Mr. Yayi, former head of the West African Development Bank, pledged to fight against corruption and re boost the country's economy. According to the World Bank, around one third of the country's 8.4 million inhabitants live under the poverty line.

In the last parliamentary elections held in 2003, the Presidential Movement, including the Union for the Benin of the Future (UBF) and the African Movement for Democracy and Progress (MADEP), which supported the then President Kérékou, won 52 of the 83 seats

2007 elections were contested by 26 political parties and 2,158 candidates. President Yayi supported coalition called the Cauri Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE) which comprised about 20 political parties. President Yayi argued he needed a majority in parliament to continue economic reforms.

Main opposition coalition called the Alliance for a Dynamic Democracy (ADD) was led by former president Soglo. It included the Socialist Party of Benin (PSB) of Mr. Bruno Amoussou, the Rebirth of Benin (RB) of former first lady Ms. Rosine Vieyra Soglo, and the African Movement for Democracy and Progress (MADEP) of the outgoing Speaker of the National Assembly, Antoine Idji Kolawolé. The ADD had supported President Yayi in the 2006 presidential run off. The Democratic Renewal Party (PRD) of Mr. Adrien Houngbedji, who finished in second in the 2006 presidential elections, fielded candidates separately.

58.69 per cent of the nearly 4 million registered voters turned out at the polls. The elections went off in relative peace. Observers from African nations and regional groups, such as the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) praised the elections as having been well organized.

The Constitutional Court declared the official results on 7 April. In all, 12 parties and coalitions won seats in the new National Assembly. President Yayi's FCBE came in first with 35 seats. The ADD and the PRD took 20 and 10 seats respectively. Other seats were won by smaller parties. In all, only 25 MPs in the outgoing legislature were re elected. Local analysts saw the results as a desire by citizens for change in parliament.

Opposition parties claimed election irregularities. The Constitutional Court, while acknowledging certain irregularities in the polls, declared they would not have changed the overall election results.

The newly elected members were sworn in on 23 April. On 3 May, Mr. Mathurin Nago (FCBE) was elected as the new Speaker.

On 17 June, President Yayi formed a new 26 member government, including six women.

STATISTICS


Round no 1 (31 March 2007): Election results
Number of registered electors		4'000'000
Voters		58.69%
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes



Round no 1: Distribution of votes

Political Group	Candidates	Votes	%
Cauri Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE)
Alliance for Democratic Momentum (ADD)
Democratic Renewal Party (PRD)
Key Force (FC)
Union for Renewal (UPR)
Coalition for an Emerging Benin (CBE)
Hope Force
National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP)
Alliance for Renewal (AR)
Restore Hope (RE)
Alliance of Progressive Forces (AFP)
Party for Democracy and Social Progress (PDPS)


Round no 1: Distribution of seats

Political Group				Total
Cauri Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE)				35
Alliance for Democratic Momentum (ADD)				20
Democratic Renewal Party (PRD)				10
Key Force (FC)				4
Union for Renewal (UPR)				3
Coalition for an Emerging Benin (CBE)				2
Hope Force				2
National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP)				2
Alliance for Renewal (AR)				2
Restore Hope (RE)				1
Alliance of Progressive Forces (AFP)				1
Party for Democracy and Social Progress (PDPS)				1

Comments:

Source:
- http://www.gouv.bj/legislatives2007/

Distribution of seats according to sex:

Men:

Women:

Percent of women:

8.43

Distribution of seats according to age:

Distribution of seats according to profession:

Also available: Archive of past election results for this chamber

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