In Benin, more than 7 million voters are called to the polls tomorrow, Sunday, January 11, to elect new members of Parliament. Five parties are competing in this election: the Republican Bloc, the Progressive Union for Renewal (UPR), the Movement of Committed Elites for the Emancipation of Benin (Moele-Benin), the Cauris Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE), and the Democrats.

A huge challenge for the opposition

Throughout the election campaign, these political parties have brought out a wealth of arguments and promises to try to win over voters to their cause.

They are vying for 109 seats in the National Assembly. The parties already in the ruling coalition, which holds a majority in Parliament, intend to strengthen their hold on the chamber after these elections, while the opposition, represented by The Democrats, hopes simply to seize a majority of seats. This is a huge challenge, as they must secure 20% of the votes cast in each of the 24 electoral districts to have any hope of representation in the National Assembly.

The movement and the FCBE have found a way to save themselves

The other parties in the ruling coalition and the FCBE (a party that claims to be part of the moderate opposition) have signed parliamentary coalition agreements. This allows them to easily reach the 20% threshold required by the Electoral Code.

Note that the municipal elections are also being held tomorrow, Sunday. Only three parties are authorized to participate in this election: the Republican Bloc, the Progressive Union for Renewal, and the Cauri Forces for an Emerging Benin.

Land borders closed during the   vote

 

In a statement released yesterday, Friday, January 9, the Minister of the Interior and Public Security, Alassane Seidou, announced the closure of land borders from "Sunday, January 11 at 12:00 a.m. to Monday, January 12 at 6:00 a.m." Bars and similar establishments, as well as markets, will also be closed during this period.

Mr. Seidou said he wanted to count on "the sense of civic duty and responsibility of everyone for the scrupulous respect of these measures taken in the interest of peace, security and the smooth running of the election".