Colonial Benin Dahomey was a French colony of and a part
of French West Africa from 1904 to 1959. Under the French, a port was constructed at Cotonou,
and railroads were built. School facilities were expanded by Roman Catholic missions.
In 1946, Dahomey became an overseas territory with its own parliament and representation
in the French national assembly. On December 4, 1958, it became the Republic of Dahomey.
Between 1960 and 1972, a succession of military coups brought about many changes of government.
The last of these brought to power Major Mathieu Kérékou as the head of a regime professing
strict Marxist-Leninist principles. By 1975 the Republic of Dahomey changed its name to
the People's Republic of Benin.The People's Revolutionary Party of Benin remained in complete
power until the beginning of the 1990s. Kérékou, encouraged by France and other democratic
powers, convened a national conference that introduced a new democratic constitution and
held presidential and legislative elections. Kérékou's principal opponent at the presidential
poll, and the ultimate victor, was Prime Minister Nicéphore Soglo. Supporters of Soglo also
secured a majority in the National Assembly Benin was thus the first African country to
effect successfully the transition from dictatorship to a pluralistic political system
Post-colonial Benin Between 1960 and 1972, a succession of military
coups brought about many changes of government. The last of these brought to power Major Mathieu
Kérékou as the head of a regime professing strict Marxist-Leninist principles. By 1975
the Republic of Dahomey changed its name to the People's Republic of Benin. The People's
Revolutionary Party of Benin remained in complete power until the beginning of the 1990s. Kérékou,
encouraged by France and other democratic powers, convened a national conference that
introduced a new democratic constitution and held presidential and legislative elections.
Kérékou's principal opponent at the presidential poll, and the ultimate victor, was Prime Minister
Nicéphore Soglo. Supporters of Soglo also secured a majority in the National Assembly.
Benin was thus the first African country to effect successfully the transition from dictatorship
to a pluralistic political system.
In the second round of National Assembly elections held in March 1995, Zoglo's political vehicle,
the Parti de la Renaissance du Benin, was the largest single party but lacked an overall
majority. The success of a party formed by supporters of ex-president Kérékou, who
had officially retired from active politics, allowed him to stand successfully at both
the 1996 and 2001 presidential elections.
During the 2001 elections, however, alleged irregularities and dubious practices led to
a boycott of the run-off poll by the main opposition candidates. The four top-ranking
contenders following the first round presidential elections were Mathieu Kérékou 45.4%, Nicephore
Soglo 27.1%, Adrien Houngbédji 12.6%, and Bruno Amoussou 8.6%. The second round balloting,
originally scheduled for March 18, 2001, was postponed for days because both Soglo and
Houngbedji withdrew, alleging electoral fraud. This left Kérékou to run against his own
Minister of State, Amoussou, in what was termed a "friendly match."
In December 2002, Benin held its first municipal elections since before the institution of
Marxism-Leninism. The process was smooth with the significant exception of the 12th district
council for Cotonou, the contest that would ultimately determine who would be selected
for the mayoralty of the capital city. That vote was marred by irregularities, and the
electoral commission was forced to repeat that single election. Nicephore Soglo's Renaissance
du Benin party won the new vote, paving the way for the former president to be elected
Mayor of Cotonou by the new city council in February 2002.
National Assembly elections took place in March 2003 and were generally considered to
be free and fair. Although there were some irregularities, these were not significant
and did not greatly disrupt the proceedings or the results. These elections resulted in
a loss of seats by RB—the primary opposition party. The other opposition parties, the Party
for Democratic Renewal led by the former Prime Minister Adrien Houngbedji and the Alliance
Etoile , joined the government coalition.
Former West African Development Bank Director Yayi Boni won the March 2006 election for
the presidency in a field of 26 candidates. International observers including the United
Nations, Economic Community of West African States , and others called the election free,
fair, and transparent. President Kérékou was barred from running under the 1990 constitution
due to term and age limitations. President Yayi was inaugurated on April 6, 2006.
Benin held legislative elections on March 31, 2007, for the 83 seats in the National
Assembly. The Force Cowrie for an Emerging Benin , a coalition of parties, closely linked
to President Yayi, won a plurality of the seats in the National Assembly, providing
the president with considerable influence over the legislative agenda.
In March 2011, President Boni Yayi was re-elected with 53.13 percent of vote in the first-round
of the election. His main rival rejected the results, claiming widespread irregularities.
After President Boni Yayi had served maximum two five-year terms, businessman Patrice Talon
succeeded him. Talon defeated prime minister Lionel Zinsou, the candidate for Boni Yayi's
Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin , in the March 2016 presidential election.
In April 2021, incumbent Patrice Talon won re-election with 86 percent of the votes in
the first round of the election. The change in election laws resulted in total control
of parliament by president Talon’s supporters.