Misplaced Pages

2006 Beninese presidential election

← 2001 5 March 2006 (first round) 19 March 2006 (second round) 2011 →
Turnout	81.40% (first round) 69.47% (second round)
Nominee Yayi Boni Adrien Houngbédji Party Independent PRD Popular vote 1,979,305 673,937 Percentage 74.60% 25.40%
President before election Mathieu Kérékou FARD-Alafia Elected President Yayi Boni Independent

Politics of Benin
Constitution Human rights
Government President (List) Patrice Talon Vice President Mariam Chabi Talata Cabinet of Benin
Parliament National Assembly President: Louis Vlavonou
Administrative divisions Departments Communes Arrondissements
Elections Recent elections Presidential: 2016 2021 Parliamentary: 2019 2023 Political parties
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs and African Integration Minister: Aurélien Agbénonci Diplomatic missions of / in Benin Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
Africa portal Other countries
v t e

Presidential elections were held in Benin on 5 March 2006. Long-term president Mathieu Kérékou, who had led the country for all but four years since 1972, was barred from running for a third term. The constitution not only stipulated an absolute two-term limit, but required presidents to be 70 years old or younger when taking office; Kérékou had turned 70 in 2003. In July 2005, Kérékou signalled that he would not seek to change the constitution, as has been done in some other African countries, so that he could run again. Kérékou's long-time rival Nicéphore Soglo was also barred from standing due to his age.

With the men who had been among the country's leading political figures since the return of democracy barred from running, the campaign had a level of openness and unpredictability not common for African presidential elections. Since no candidate won a majority, a second round was held between the two leading candidates on 19 March; Yayi Boni won the election and took office in April.

Candidates

A total of 33 candidate applications were registered with the Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA). In a ruling issued on 30 January 2006, the Constitutional Court accepted 26 candidacies, as the candidacies of Daniel Shalom, Vincent Emmanuel Ahounou, and Adébayo Ananie were rejected because they were deemed medically unfit for the presidency, while the candidacies of Lary Egoundoukpè and Alidou Tamama were rejected because they had not paid the deposit of five million CFA francs required of candidates. Another two candidates, Edgar Alias and Yaro Sourakatou, withdrew in favor of Boni prior to the ruling. The approved candidates included three serving members of Kérékou's government: Zul Kifl Salami, Antoine Dayori, and Kamarou Fassassi. Additionally, the Constitutional Court approved the candidacies of two heads of major institutions: those of Antoine Idji Kolawolé, the President of the National Assembly, and Raphiou Toukourou, the President of the Economic and Social Council.

Results

In the first round, held on 5 March, Boni, former chairman of the West African Development Bank, placed first with around 35% of the vote, and former President of the National Assembly Adrien Houngbédji of the Democratic Renewal Party placed second with around 24% of the vote. In third place was the Social Democratic Party's candidate Bruno Amoussou, a former speaker of parliament and planning minister who obtained around 16% of the vote, and in fourth place was Benin Renaissance candidate Lehady Soglo, son of former president Nicéphore Soglo, with around 8% of the vote. Boni was an independent candidate, and this was his first election; Houngbédji and Amoussou had both run for president three previous times.

Shortly after results were announced in mid-March, the government set the date for the second round between Boni and Houngbédji for 19 March. The country's election commission asked for more time, but this was refused. Boni was backed for the second round by both Amoussou and Soglo. He won the second round with almost 75% of the vote and was sworn in on 6 April.

References

1. Kerekou says will retire next year, will not change constitution to stay in power IRIN, 12 July 2005
2. La Cour constitutionnelle retient 26 candidatures Archived March 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Panapress, 30 January 2006 (in French)
3. ^ Elections in Benin African Elections Database
4. Profiles of front-runners in presidential race IRIN, 3 March 2006
5. Rejecting appeal, government sets poll for 19 March IRIN, 18 March 2006
6. Virgile Ahissou, Celebrations in Benin as Boni takes office Associated Press, 7 April 2006

External links

• Achieving Transformational Democracy in Africa: Benin strikes again USAID
• Commission Electoral Nationale Autonome (in French)

v t e Elections and referendums in Benin
Presidential elections	1968 (May) 1968 (Jul) 1970 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021
Parliamentary elections	1925 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1946–47 1952 1957 1959 1960 1964 1979 1984 1989 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Municipal elections	2002 2008 2015 2020
French elections	1945 1946 (Feb) 1946 (Jun) 1946 (Nov) 1951 1956
Referendums	1945 1946 (May) 1946 (Oct) 1958 1964 1968 1990

• Presidential elections in Benin
• 2006 elections in Africa
• 2006 in Benin
• March 2006 events in Africa