AFRICAN ELECTIONS DATABASE
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Elections in Benin
 
Political Profile
Political System: Democracy
President: Yayi Boni [since 06 April 2006; elected 2006] The President is elected by direct popular vote for a 5-year term. Electoral System: Two Round (Run-off).
National Assembly [unicameral] (83 Seats) Members are elected by direct popular vote in multi-member constituencies using the party-list proportional representation system; members serve 4-year terms.
Political Situation since Independence
1960-1963 Emerging Democracy
1963-1964 Military Regime
1964-1965 [De-Facto] One Party State (PDD)
1965-1968 Military Regime
1968-1969 Restricted Democratic Practice
1969-1970 Military Regime
1970-1972 Restricted Democratic Practice
1972-1975 Military Regime
1975-1990 One Party State (PRPB)
1990-1991 Multiparty Transition
1991-        Democracy
2007 Freedom House Rating: Political Rights - 2, Civil Liberties - 2, Status: Free
Next Scheduled Presidential Election: March 2011
Next Scheduled National Assembly Election: March 2011
Political Parties: AC - Chameleon Alliance, ADP - Alliance for Democracy in Progress, AFP - Alliance of Progress Forces, ANAD - National Alliance for a Democratic Alternative, AR - Renewal Alliance, ASD - Alliance for Social Democracy (left-wing), BGLD - Builders and Managers of Freedom and Development, BSD - Bloc for Social Democracy, CAD - African Congress of Democrats, CAR-Dunya - African Congress for Renewal, CBE - Coalition for an Emerging Benin, CPP - Congress of People for Progress, ENVOL - Envol Movement, FARD-Alafia - Action Front for Renewal and Development (left-wing), FC - Key Force, FCBE - Cauri Forces for an Emerging Benin, FE - Hope Force, IPD - Impulse for Progress and Democracy, Les Verts - The Greens, MADEP - African Movement for Democracy and Progress, MAP - Movement for the People Alternative, MDC - Movement for Development by the Culture, MDS - Movement for Development and Solidarity, MERCI - Movement for Citizens' Commitment and Awakening, MNDD - National Movement for Democracy and Development (left-wing), MSUP - Movement for Solidarity, Union, and Progress, NA - New Alliance, NCC - Our Common Cause, NG - New Generation, PCB - Communist Party of Benin (far-left), PDB - Democratic Party of Benin, PDD - Dahomeyan Democratic Party, PDPS - Party for Democracy and Social Progress, PND - Dahomey Nationalist Party, PNDD - National Party for Democracy and Development, PNT - National Labor Party, PRB [RB] - Renaissance Party of Benin (centrist), PRD - Republican Party of Dahomey, PRD - Democratic Renewal Party, PRD-NG - Awakening Party of Democrats of the New Generation, PRPB - Benin People’s Revolutionary Party, PS - Salute Party, PSD - Social Democratic Party, RAPS - African Rally for Progress and Solidarity, RDD - Dahomey Democratic Rally, RDD-Nassara - Democratic Rally for Development, RDL - Rally of Liberal Democrats for National Reconstruction (center-left), RDP - Rally for Democracy and Progress, RE - Restore Hope, RND - National Rally for Democracy, RUND - National Rally for Unity and Democracy, UBF - Union for the Benin of the Future, UDD - Dahomeyan Democratic Union, UDES - Democratic Union for Social and Economic Development, UDRN - Union for Democracy and National Reconstruction, UDRS - Democratic Union for Social Renewal, UDS - Union for Democracy and National Solidarity, UDSN - Union for Democracy and National Solidarity, UFD - Union of Democratic Forces, UNDP - National Union for Democracy and Progress, UNSP - National Union for Solidarity and Progress, UPR - Union for Relief, URP - Popular Republican Union, UTRD - Union for the Triumph of Democratic Renewal.
Coalitions: Alliance for a Dynamic Democracy (ADD) [Contested the 2007 National Assembly Election] Member parties include the Renaissance Party of Benin (RB), African Movement for Democracy and Progress (MADEP), Social Democratic Party (PSD), Democratic Rally for Development (RDD-Nassara), and the Union of Democratic Forces (UFD); Dahomeyan Unity Party (PDU) [Contested the 1960 National Assembly Election] Member parties include the Dahomey Democratic Rally (RDD) and the Dahomey Nationalist Party (PND); National Party for Democracy and Development-Democratic Renewal Party (PNDD-PRD) [Contested the 1991 National Assembly Election]; Social Democratic Party-National Union for Solidarity and Progress (PSD-UNSP) [Contested the 1991 National Assembly Election]; National Movement for Democracy and Development-Movement for Solidarity, Union, and Progress-Union for Democracy and National Reconstruction (MNDD-MSUP-UDRN) [Contested the 1991 National Assembly Election]; Alliance for Social Democracy-Bloc for Social Democracy (ASD-BSD) [Contested the 1991 National Assembly Election]; Alliance for Democracy and Progress-Democratic Union for Social Renewal (ADP-UDRS) [Contested the 1991 National Assembly Election]; Popular Republican Union-National Labor Party (URP-PNT) [Contested the 1991 National Assembly Election]; Minor political parties supporting President Nicéphore Soglo [Contested the 1995 National Assembly Election] Member parties include the African Rally for Progress and Solidarity (RAPS), Alliance for Social Democracy (ASD), National Movement for Democracy and Development (MNDD), National Union for Solidarity and Progress (UNSP), New Generation (NG), and Union for Democracy and National Solidarity (UDSN); Star Alliance (Alliance Étoile) [Contested the 1999 and 2003 National Assembly Elections] Builders and Managers of Freedom and Democracy (BGLD), The Greens (Les Verts), and the Union for Democracy and National Solidarity (UDSN); Presidential Movement (MP) [Contested the 2003 National Assembly Election] Member parties include the Union for the Benin of the Future (UBF), African Movement for Democracy and Progress (MADEP), Key Force (FC), Movement for Development by the Culture-Salute Party-Congress of People for Progress Alliance (Alliance MDC-PS-CPP), Impulse for Progress and Democracy (IPD), Alliance of Progress Forces (AFP), Movement for Development and Solidarity (MDS), and Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP); Movement for Development by the Culture-Salute Party-Congress of People for Progress Alliance (Alliance MDC-PS-CPP) [Contested the 2003 National Assembly Election as part of the Presidential Movement (MP)]; New Benin Alliance (ABN) [Supported Bruno Amoussou in the 2006 Presidential Election].
 
 
Election Results
 
 
Presidential
--Single Party: 1964
--Multiparty: 1960, 1968 (May), 1968 (July), 1970, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006
Legislative
--Single Party: 1964, 1979, 1984, 1989
--Multiparty: 1959, 1960, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2007
Referenda: 1964, 1968, 1990
 
 

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Party

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Seats (70)

Republican Party of Dahomey (PRD)

144,038

-

37

Dahomey Democratic Rally (RDD)

62,132

-

22

Dahomeyan Democratic Union (UDD)

172,139

-

11

 
11 December 1960 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Hubert Maga of the Dahomey Democratic Rally (RDD) was elected president. No figures are available.
 
11 December 1960 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

The Dahomeyan Unity Party (PDU), a coalition of Hubert Maga’s Dahomey Democratic Rally (RDD) and Sourou-Migan Apithy’s Dahomey Nationalist Party (PND), won the election. No figures are available.
 
05 January 1964 Constitutional Referendum
Main Points: Presidential System of Government, No Presidential Term Limits, Unicameral Legislature

Registered Voters

1,051,614

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

   968,229 (92.1%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

          619

Total Valid Votes

   967,610

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

966,292

99.86%

"No" Votes

1,318

00.14%

 
19 January 1964 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Sourou-Migan Apithy of the Dahomeyan Democratic Party (PDD) was elected unopposed. No figures are available.
 
19 January 1964 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

The Dahomeyan Democratic Party (PDD) won the election. No figures are available.
 
31 March 1968 Constitutional Referendum
Main Points: Presidential System of Government, Unicameral Legislature, No Presidential Term Limits

Registered Voters

1,126,155

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

   922,050 (82.6%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

       3,221

Total Valid Votes

   918,829

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

847,212

92.20%

"No" Votes

71,617

07.80%

 
05 May 1968 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Dr. Basile Adjou won the election, but the results were invalidated due to a low voter turnout.
 
28 July 1968 Presidential Plebiscite*

Registered Voters

1,140,378

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

   828,076 (72.6%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

       3,269

Total Valid Votes

   824,807

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

660,018

73.68%

"No" Votes

194,789

26.32%

*Following the annulled election in May 1968, the military authorities appointed Émile Derlin Zinsou President. He accepted under the condition that a plebiscite be held on the issue. 
 
March 1970 Presidential Election

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

The election was annulled by military authorities as a result of political violence.
 
Single Party Elections
Sole Legal Party: Benin People’s Revolutionary Party (PRPB)

20 November 1979 National Revolutionary Assembly Election (336 Seats)

10 June 1984 National Revolutionary Assembly Election

18 June 1989 National Revolutionary Assembly Election

Note: Mathieu Kérékou was elected President without opposition by the National Revolutionary Assembly on 06 February 1980. He was re-elected on 31 July 1984 and 02 August 1989.
 
02 December 1990 Constitutional Referendum*
Main Points: Multiparty System, Presidential Age Limits

Registered Voters

2,052,105

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,304,870 (63.6%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     40,229

Total Valid Votes

1,264,641

Results

Number of Votes

% of Votes

"Yes" Votes

1,178,724

93.2%

 

Age Limits

(926,860)

  

73.3%

No Age Limits

(252,064)

19.9%

"No" Votes

85,717

06.8%

*Voters were ask to choose between two versions of the Constitution, one of which incorporated a clause stipulating upper and lower age-limits for presidential candidates.
 
17 February 1991 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

 2,069,343

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,069,367 (51.7%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     39,350

Total Valid Votes

 1,030,017

Party/[Coalition]

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Seats (64)

Union for the Triumph of Democratic Renewal [UTRD]

194,213

18.9%

12

National Party for Democracy and Development-Democratic Renewal Party [PNDD-PRD]

120,705

11.7%

09

Social Democratic Party-National Union for Solidarity and Progress [PSD-UNSP]

101,348

9.8%

08

National Rally for Democracy (RND)

124,392

12.1%

07

Our Common Cause (NCC)

104,347

10.1%

06

National Movement for Democracy and Development-Movement for Solidarity, Union, and Progress-Union for Democracy and National Reconstruction [MNDD-MSUP-UDRN]

86,556

8.4%

06

Union for Democracy and National Solidarity (UDSN)

72,899

7.1%

05

Rally of Liberal Democrats for National Reconstruction (RDL-Vivoten)

57,852

5.6%

04

Alliance for Social Democracy-Bloc for Social Democracy [ASD-BSD]

35,700

3.5%

03

Alliance for Democracy and Progress-Democratic Union for Social Renewal [ADP-UDRS]

38,684

3.8%

02

National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP)
 
93,321
 
 
9.1%
 

01

Popular Republican Union-National Labor Party [URP-PNT]

01

Others

-

 
March 1991 Presidential Election
First Round (10 March 1991)

Registered Voters

  

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

(N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

 

Total Valid Votes

 1,143,613
Second Round (24 March 1991)

Registered Voters

  

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

(64.1%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

 

Total Valid Votes

 1,290,047

Candidate (Party)

First Round

Second Round

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Nicéphore Soglo (UTRD)

415,262

36.31%

873,790

67.73%

Mathieu Kérékou

310,978

27.19%

416,257

32.27%

Albert Tevoedjre (NCC)

162,498

14.21%

-

-

Bruno Amoussou (PSD)

65,999

5.77%

-

-

Adrien Houngbédji (PRD)

51,888

4.54%

-

-

Moise Mensah

39,250

3.43%

-

-

Sévérin Adjovi (RDL)

29,854

2.61%

-

-

Bertin Borna

18,484

1.62%

-

-

Idelphonse Lemon

11,297

0.99%

-

-

Assani Fasassi

10,334

0.90%

-

-

Gatien Houngbédji (UDES)

10,210

0.89%

-

-

Robert Dossou (ASD)

9,551

0.84%

-

-

Thomas Goudou (BGLD)

8,008

0.70%

-

-

 
28 March 1995 National Assembly Election*

Registered Voters

  

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

(75.8%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

 

Total Valid Votes

  

Party/Coalition

Number of Seats (83)

Renaissance Party of Benin (PRB)

21

Supporters of President Soglo

06

 

African Rally for Progress and Solidarity (RAPS)

  

01

Alliance for Social Democracy (ASD)

01

National Movement for Democracy and Development (MNDD)

01

National Union for Solidarity and Progress (UNSP)

01

New Generation (NG)

01

Union for Democracy and National Solidarity (UDSN)

01

Democratic Renewal Party (PRD)

18

Action Front for Renewal and Development (FARD)

14

Social Democratic Party (PSD)

08

Rally of Liberal Democrats for National Reconstruction (RDL)

04

Our Common Cause (NCC)

04

Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP)

03

Impulse for Progress and Democracy (IPD)

02

Communist Party of Benin (PCB)

01

Chameleon Alliance (AC)

01

Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP)

01

*Repolling on 28 May 1995 for 13 seats that the Supreme Court had invalidated because of irregularities.
 
March 1996 Presidential Election
First Round (03 March 1996)

Registered Voters

Not Available

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

Not Available (N/A)

Invalid/Blank Votes

Not Available

Total Valid Votes

1,671,024

Second Round (18 March 1996)

Registered Voters

2,524,262

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,958,855 (77.6%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

     54,776

Total Valid Votes

1,904,079

Candidate (Party)

First Round

Second Round

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Nicéphore Soglo (PRB)

596,371

35.69%

904,626

47.51%

Mathieu Kérékou

567,084

33.94%

999,453

52.49%

Adrien Houngbédji (PRD)

329,364

19.71%

-

-

Bruno Amoussou (PSD)

129,731

7.76%

-

-

Pascal Fontondji (PCB)

17,977

1.08%

-

-

Lionel Agbo

15,418

0.92%

-

-

Léandre Djagoué

15,079

0.90%

-

-

 
30 March 1999 National Assembly Election

Registered Voters

2,533,399

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,776,108 (70.1%)

Party/[Coalition]

Number of Seats (83)

Renaissance Party of Benin (PRB)

27

Democratic Renewal Party (PRD)

11

Action Front for Renewal and Development (FARD-Alafia)

10

Social Democratic Party (PSD)

09

African Movement for Democracy and Progress (MADEP)

06

Star Alliance (Alliance Étoile)

04

Impulse for Progress and Democracy (IPD)

04

African Congress for Renewal (CAR-Dunya)

03

Movement for Citizens' Commitment and Awakening (MERCI)

02

Suru Alliance [SURU]

01

Democratic Party of Benin (PDB)

01

National Rally for Unity and Democracy (RUND)

01

National Party "Together" (PNE)

01

Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP)

01

Salute Party (PS)

01

Rally for Progress and Renewal-National Union for Solidarity and Development [RPR-UNSD]

01

 
March 2001 Presidential Election
First Round (04 March 2001)

Registered Voters

3,034,471

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

2,662,595 (87.7%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

   181,066

Total Valid Votes

2,481,529

Second Round (18 March 2001)

Registered Voters

3,152,365

Total Votes (Voter Turnout)

1,707,604 (54.2%)

Invalid/Blank Votes

   173,809

Total Valid Votes

1,533,795

Candidate (Party)

First Round

 Second Round

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Number of Votes

% of Votes

Mathieu Kérékou (FARD-Alafia)

1,127,100

45.42%

1,282,855

83.64%

Nicéphore Soglo (PRB)

672,927

27.12%

*

Adrien Houngbédji (PRD)

313,186

12.62%

*

Bruno Amoussou (PSD)

213,136

8.59%

250,940

16.36%

Sacca Lafia (UDS)

29,656

1.20%

-

-

François-Xavier Loko

16,656

0.67%

-

-

Soulé Dankoro (PDB)

15,614

0.63%

-

-

Adébayo Abimbola (RND)

15,251

0.61%