A third election without main opposition parties in Benin

The document argues that the exclusion of main opposition parties from three consecutive elections in Benin, driven by a restrictive endorsement requirement in the electoral code, undermines the country's democratic progress and risks triggering civil strife. It highlights a trend in West Africa where incumbents ensure re-election by excluding opponents and calls for African regional organisations to rethink their conflict prevention strategies to consolidate democracy.

• The introduction of an endorsement requirement in the electoral code by the ruling Republican Bloc (BP) and Progressist Union (UP) has effectively excluded main opposition parties from presidential elections. This requirement mandates that candidates be sponsored by at least 16 parliamentarians or mayors; since the BP and UP control the National Assembly and 70 of 77 local councillors, they control eligibility.
• Benin's democratic standing has declined, moving from 'Free' to 'Partly Free' in the Freedom in the World 2020 report. This decline is attributed to the absence of opposition parties in three consecutive elections since 2019, which creates a perception that election outcomes are predetermined.
• There is a significant risk of civil strife and a repeat of the 2019 post-election violence, where security forces killed at least four protesters. Tensions are exacerbated by the detention of five opposition figures on terrorism and political sabotage charges and the dismissal of legal challenges regarding the authenticity of candidate sponsorships.
• The document identifies a broader regional trend in West Africa where incumbents use the intentional exclusion of political opponents to guarantee re-election, rendering national and international poll monitoring inefficient.

APA

Zounmenou, D., Abatan, J. E., & Matongbada, M. (n.d.). A third election without main opposition parties in Benin. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/a-third-election-without-main-opposition-parties-in-benin

Chicago

Zounmenou, David, Jeannine Ella Abatan, and Michaël Matongbada. A third election without main opposition parties in Benin. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/a-third-election-without-main-opposition-parties-in-benin.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zounmenou |first1=David |last2=Abatan |first2=Jeannine Ella |last3=Matongbada |first3=Michaël |title=A third election without main opposition parties in Benin |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/a-third-election-without-main-opposition-parties-in-benin |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zounmenoundthird, author = {Zounmenou, David and Abatan, Jeannine Ella and Matongbada, Michaël}, title = {{A third election without main opposition parties in Benin}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/iss-today/a-third-election-without-main-opposition-parties-in-benin}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }