Benin’s local elections further reduce the political space

The May 2020 local elections in Benin served as a critical gateway for the 2021 presidential polls due to a November 2019 law requiring candidates to be sponsored by at least 16 parliamentarians or mayors. Because the opposition lacks parliamentary representation, they relied on mayorships; however, the Forces Cauris pour un Bénin Emergent (FCBE) only secured an absolute majority in seven municipalities, failing to meet the 16-mayor threshold. This legal framework, combined with the government's withdrawal from the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights protocol and the exclusion of major opposition parties from previous polls, suggests the 2021 presidential election may occur without a viable opposition, undermining the legitimacy of the resulting government.

• A November 2019 electoral law creates a high barrier for presidential candidates by requiring sponsorship from at least 16 parliamentarians and/or mayors.
• The opposition party Forces Cauris pour un Bénin Emergent (FCBE) failed to secure enough mayorships to sponsor a presidential candidate, winning absolute majorities in only seven of the 77 municipalities.
• Benin has taken legal steps to shield itself from international judicial oversight, including withdrawing from a protocol of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and ruling that an ECOWAS Court of Justice protocol is no longer enforceable.
• The 2020 local elections were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic with a voter turnout of 49.14%, though civil society observers expressed concern over the lack of social distancing at polling stations.

APA

Abatan, J. E., & Matongbada, M. (n.d.). Benin’s local elections further reduce the political space. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/benins-local-elections-further-reduce-the-political-space

Chicago

Abatan, Jeannine Ella, and Michaël Matongbada. Benin’s local elections further reduce the political space. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/benins-local-elections-further-reduce-the-political-space.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Abatan |first1=Jeannine Ella |last2=Matongbada |first2=Michaël |title=Benin’s local elections further reduce the political space |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/iss-today/benins-local-elections-further-reduce-the-political-space |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{abatanndbenins, author = {Abatan, Jeannine Ella and Matongbada, Michaël}, title = {{Benin’s local elections further reduce the political space}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/iss-today/benins-local-elections-further-reduce-the-political-space}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }