Those polls in 1991 saw Benin's former President Mathieu Kérékou become the first West African leader to admit defeat in an election. His victory interestingly comes after he was narrowly defeated by his rival in the first round. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. [4], Former West African Development Bank Director Yayi Boni won the March 2006 election for the presidency in a field of 26 candidates. These elections resulted in a loss of seats by RB—the primary opposition party. Talon ran as an independent candidate in the March 2016 presidential election. João Lourenço: Angola: 2017–present: 3. People's Republic of Benin: 16 Mathieu Kérékou (1933–2015) 30 November 1975 1 March … He was the first president to win an election without a runoff since the restoration of democracy in 1991. Among the front-runners were Talon, who had returned to Benin after his pardon, and the country’s prime minister, Lionel Zinsou, who was the flag bearer of the FCBE. Independent candidate Patrice Talon has been elected President of Benin. [1] The last of these brought to power Major Mathieu Kérékou as the head of a regime professing strict Marxist-Leninist principles. The second round balloting, originally scheduled for March 18, 2001, was postponed for days because both Soglo and Houngbedji withdrew, alleging electoral fraud. During this period, she served as the acting President of the country from October 27, 1993 to February 5, 1994 when the incumbent President Melchior Ndadaye was shot together with 6 of his officials. by Nigerian Canadian Newspaper Canada. Thomson Gale, 2006. [3] The People's Revolutionary Party of Benin (PRPB) remained in complete power until the beginning of the 1990s. Patrice Talon (born 1 May 1958) is a Beninese businessman and politician who was elected President of Benin on 20 March 2016. 0. A total of six people have served as Prime Minister (not counting one Acting Prime Minister). He secured 65% of the votes in a second round run-off election with incumbent; Lionel Zinsou received only 35% of the vote. Benin … She was the Prime Minister of Burundi from February 10, 1993 to October 7, 1994. His main rival rejected the results, claiming widespread irregularities. Roch Marc Christian Kaboré: Burkina Faso: 2015–present: 6. Benin held legislative elections on March 31, 2007, for the 83 seats in the National Assembly. A government spokesperson has revealed that the leader of Benin’s largest opposition party and first female presidential candidate has been arrested and accused of “planning to assassinate several political figures”. Those polls saw Benin's former President Mathieu Kerekou become the first West African leader to admit defeat in an election. Jorge Carlos Fonseca The four top-ranking contenders following the first round presidential elections were Mathieu Kérékou (incumbent) 45.4%, Nicephore Soglo (former president) 27.1%, Adrien Houngbédji (National Assembly Speaker) 12.6%, and Bruno Amoussou (Minister of State) 8.6%. New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind will next week travel to Benin, Gambia and Guinea, the first visit by an Indian head of state to the three West African countries, External Affairs Ministry announced on Thursday. That vote was marred by irregularities, and the electoral commission was forced to repeat that single election. In 1963, the first president of Benin, Hubert Maga, was disposed by General Christophe Soglo in an army coupe. ... Benin's politics take place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, in which the President of Benin is both head of state and head of government, within a multi-party system. [4] Benin was thus the first African country to effect successfully the transition from dictatorship to a pluralistic political system. He is removed by the army's Chief of Staff, Colonel Christophe Soglo. International observers including the United Nations, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and others called the election free, fair, and transparent. President Yayi was inaugurated on April 6, 2006. Provisional results of the first round of the election are expected by April 13. The first and third President of Benin was Mathieu Kérékou, (born 1933) was President of Benin from 1972 to 1992 and again from 1996 to present. President Name: Country: Starting Year: 1. Since then Benin had … [4], National Assembly elections took place in March 2003 and were generally considered to be free and fair. He proclaimed himself as the chief of state and dismissed the civilian government in 1965. Incumbent Patrice Talon, first elected in 2016, faces two little-known rivals, Alassane Soumanou and Corentin Kohoue. The last of these brought to power Major Mathieu Kérékou as the head of a regime professing strict Marxist-Leninist principles. The 62-year-old faces off against two little-known rivals, Alassane Soumanou and Corentin Kohoue. Economic Community of West African States, https://www.reuters.com/article/ozatp-benin-election-idAFJOE72L02120110322, https://www.france24.com/en/Benin-presidential-elections-mark-victory-Talon, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/13/benins-president-wins-re-election-with-86-official, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/11/vote-counting-in-benin-after-election-marked-by-violent-protests, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_Benin&oldid=1018670495, Wikipedia articles in need of updating from April 2021, All Wikipedia articles in need of updating, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the World Factbook, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the United States Department of State Background Notes, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 19 April 2021, at 07:49. Talon defeated prime minister Lionel Zinsou, the candidate for Boni Yayi's Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE), in the March 2016 presidential election. In 1946, Dahomey became an overseas territory with its own parliament and representation in the French national assembly. School facilities were expanded by Roman Catholic missions. Hubert Maga, the first president of independent Dahomey, the West African country now called Benin, has died of a heart attack, his family said on … Although there were some irregularities, these were not significant and did not greatly disrupt the proceedings or the results. Kérékou, encouraged by France and other democratic powers, convened a national conference that introduced a new democratic constitution and held presidential and legislative elections. With Yayi stepping down, there were more than 30 candidates contesting the presidency. This is a list of presidents of Benin (formerly Dahomey) since the formation of the post of President in 1960, to the present day.. A total of seven people have served as President (not counting two acting presidents, several interim military officeholders and a collective presidency). Thomson Gale (Firm). Although he finished second to Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou of the Cowry Forces for an Emerging Beninin the first round of voting, he won the second round with 65% of the vote. African Presidents And Their Wives(first Ladies) by onila(f): 6:21pm On Feb 15, 2012 South African president Jacob Zuma and his three official wives Zuma is the father of 18 children This left Kérékou to run against his own Minister of State, Amoussou, in what was termed a "friendly match. Kérékou accepted the result and left office. Under the French, a port was constructed at Cotonou, and railroads were built. Known as the “King of Cotton” for his involvement in the cotton industry, Talon was a backer of President Thomas Boni Yayi, financing his campaigns for the 2006 and 2011 elections. The Force Cowrie for an Emerging Benin (FCBE), 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. The official name of Benin was preserved for the country, which became the Republic of Benin. However, after the two fell out, Talon was accused of involvement in a plot to kill Boni … The other opposition parties, the Party for Democratic Renewal (PRD) led by the former Prime Minister Adrien Houngbedji and the Alliance Etoile (AE), joined the government coalition. Speaking on 25 March 2016, Talon said that he would "first and foremost tackle constitutional reform", discussing his plan to limit presidents to a singl… Paul Biya: Cameroon: 1982–present: 8. [5], 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. [7], In April 2021, incumbent Patrice Talon won re-election with 86 percent of the votes in the first round of the election. Nicephore Soglo's Renaissance du Benin (RB) 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. Profiles of People in Power: The World's Government Leaders (2003), page 55. The country has a small coastal area on the Bight of Benin, where most of the population resides. Benin vote count begins after opposition groups boycott election. [4], Benin held legislative elections on March 31, 2007, for the 83 seats in the National Assembly. Benin's coastline is just 121 km (75 mi) long. Executive power is exercised by the government. Kérékou, encouraged by France and other democratic powers, convened a national conference that introduced a new democratic constitution and held presidential and legislative elections. Évariste Ndayishimiye: Burundi: 2020–present: 7. Between 1960 and 1972, a succession of military coups brought about many changes of government. 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. This is a list of prime ministers of Benin (formerly Dahomey) since the formation of the post of Prime Minister in 1960, to its abolition in 2016. President of Benin: Formation: 1 August 1960: First holder: Hubert Maga: Final … President Patrice Talon is expected to win a second term in office as group of opposition parties called for a boycott. The leaders, gathered in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, on Sunday for a two-day summit have choosen Thomas Boni Yayi, Benin’s president, as the 54-member bloc’s new chairman. March 20, 2021. in Africa. [4], During the 2001 elections, however, alleged irregularities and dubious practices led to a boycott of the run-off poll by the main opposition candidates. 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. The seed of political fraud, hoaxes, broken promises, and frustrated ambitions was planted by the first President of the Republic of Colonial Benin (formerly, République du Dahomey/Republic of Dahomey). REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer/File Photo. In the next several years, the heads of … Zinsou garnered the most votes, 28.4 percent. Benin, a country of about 12 million people, became Africa's top cotton exporter in 2018. Patrice Talon: Benin: 2018–present: 4. On December 4, 1958, it became the Republic of Dahomey. The first round of the 2016 presidential election was held on March 6. Its capital is Porto-Novo, but FILE PHOTO: Benin's president, Patrice Talon, attends a joint declaration with French president at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, April 26, 2016. Jamie Stokes. image copyright AFP. The first female President in Africa was Slyvie Kiningi. President Kérékou was barred from running under the 1990 constitution due to term and age limitations. Mokgweetsi Masisi: Botswana: 2018-present: 5. [2] By 1975 the Republic of Dahomey changed its name to the People's Republic of Benin. 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, Between 1960 and 1972, a succession of military coups brought about many changes of government. Photo courtesy Political betrayal in Kenya is not new; it runs through since the independence in the early 1960s. "Apr 1996 - Acceptance of defeat by Soglo - New government", Ministry of Foreign Affairs and African Integration, "Bénin : Koupaki, Premier ministre sur mesure", "Benin president scraps PM's post in new government", "Bénin: Lionel Zinsou nommé Premier ministre", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_prime_ministers_of_Benin&oldid=1002319033, 1960 establishments in the Republic of Dahomey, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Post abolished (31 December 1960 – 25 January 1964), Post abolished (29 November 1965 – 21 December 1967), Post abolished (17 July 1968 – 30 November 1975), Post abolished (30 November 1975 – 1 March 1990), Post abolished (4 April 1991 – 9 April 1996, This page was last edited on 23 January 2021, at 21:33. Countries of the world and their leaders yearbook 2007, Volume 1. By Samuel Ouma First Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga with the first President of Kenya Jomo Kenyatta. Benin is a West African country officially known as the Republic of Benin. The Republic of Benin is from north to south a long stretched country in West Africa, situated east of Togo and west of Nigeria, it is bordered to the north by Burkina Faso and Niger, in south by the the Bight of Benin, in the Gulf of Guinea, that part of the tropical North Atlantic Ocean which is roughly south of West Africa. Benin First Female Presidential Candidate Accused of Terrorism, Jailed By Stanley Ugagbe. Talon, a cotton magnate first elected in 2016, is heavily favoured to win a second term. COTONOU, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The provisional results released by the Constitutional Court of Benin on Thursday showed that the incumbent President Patrice Talon won the presidential … His opponent, outgoing Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou recognized his defeat the night of the election. Dahomey was a French colony of and a part of French West Africa from 1904 to 1959. Abdelmadjid Tebboune: Algeria: 2019–present: 2. Kérékou's principal opponent at the presidential poll, and the ultimate victor, was Prime Minister Nicéphore Soglo. The Force Cowrie for an Emerging Benin (FCBE), 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. Benin borders Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso and Niger to the north, and Togo to the west. Kérékou's principal opponent at the presidential poll, and the ultimate victor, was Prime Minister Nicéphore Soglo. [8] [9], Parts of this article (those related to Post-colonial Benin) need to be. Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East: L to Z. Infobase Publishing, 2009. Supporters of Soglo also secured a majority in the National Assembly. In the presidential election in March 1991, Prime Minister Nicephore Soglo defeated Kérékou, winning 67.7% of the vote. Soglo was dispose in Dec. 1967 by a group of young army officers and in May 1970 a 3-man presidential commission with a six-year term was created to take the government. [6], After President Boni Yayi had served maximum two five-year terms, businessman Patrice Talon succeeded him. [4], In March 2011, President Boni Yayi was re-elected with 53.13 percent of vote in the first-round of the election. 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. 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