The Beninese authorities have begun the counting of the legislative elections on Sunday, January 10, the results of which are expected at the end of the week, we learned on Tuesday from the Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA), after a vote judged without incident.
The counts "
are taking their course and before the end of the week, we should have the voting trends
," a source within the CENA told AFP.
This vote, considered a key democratic test for this West African country, is marked by the participation of several opposition parties, for the first time under the presidency of Patrice Talon, elected in 2016.
6 million voters
"
All the district coordinators have already sent to Cotonou
" the ballot boxes containing the votes, several sources within the CENA confirmed to AFP on Tuesday, January 10, which received the last ballots on Monday afternoon.
Some 6.6 million Beninese were called to the polls to elect the 109 members of parliament for three years.
The election campaign took place "
in a calm and peaceful environment
" and the vote was well organized, said an observation mission from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Return of the opposition
Seven parties, including three claiming to be opposition, were authorized to participate.
Opposition leaders, most of whom are imprisoned or in exile, hope to see their parties win seats in parliament before the 2026 presidential elections and have congratulated their supporters for their mobilization.
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The last legislative elections, held in 2019, were marked by deadly violence, record abstention and a total internet shutdown, extremely rare events in Benin.
The opposition was unable to participate due to a tightening of the voting rules.
Only two formations of the presidential movement had been authorized there, giving a Parliament entirely acquired by President Talon.
“Democratic retreat”
Supporters of Patrice Talon, a cotton magnate re-elected in 2021, believe he has helped the country's economic development.
But the opposition denounces for its part a democratic decline marked by heavy condemnations of political opponents.
From her cell, the opponent Reckya Madougou hailed in a press release, "
the maturity of the people of Benin
" who "
expressed themselves without ambiguity for the restoration of democracy and freedom of choice and expression
".
In December 2021, Reckya Madougou was sentenced to 20 years in prison for terrorism.
The academic Joël Aïvo, another member of the opposition, was sentenced to ten years in prison for conspiracy against the authority of the State.
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Benin, like other countries in the Gulf of Guinea such as Ghana, Togo and Côte d'Ivoire, is increasingly confronted with violence from jihadist groups near its northern border with Burkina Faso and Niger.
