Benin is preparing to vote on Sunday in legislative and local elections, less than a month after a failed coup attempt rocked the commercial capital Cotonou. These elections come after weeks of electoral campaigns, and before the presidential elections scheduled for next April 12.
The Election Commission said that about 8 million registered voters will choose 109 representatives in addition to their local representatives. These are the first legislative elections since the electoral schedule was amended and a constitutional change was approved that allows representatives to be elected for a period of seven years instead of five.
Five parties are competing in the legislative elections, three of which belong to the presidential coalition, while the Democratic Party of former President Thomas Boni Yai and the FCBE represent the moderate opposition. As for the local elections, only three parties participate in them after excluding the lists of Democrats. The authorities confirmed that the coup attempt that took place last December was foiled, and that President Patrice Talon is safe.
Talon is scheduled not to run in the upcoming presidential elections, while Economy Minister Romuald Ouadagni for the Presidential Coalition and Paul Honkby for FCBE will run in the race.
