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Republic of Benin Page |
Welcome to ElectionInfo.com's pages on Republic of Benin
Official Name: Republic of Benin
Capital: Porto Novo
Area: 112,620 square kilometres (43,483 square miles)
Major cities (Population)
Cotonou 350,000 (1989 estimate)
Porto Novo 169,000 (1990 estimate)
Population: 5,409,000 (1995 estimate)
Population growth rate: 3.1 per cent (1990-1995 average)
Type of government: Republic under multi-party democratic rule; dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multi-party system completed 4 April 1991.
Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France)
Constitution: 2 December 1990
Voting Rights: Universal at age 18
Government
Benin is a multi-party democracy. The president acts as head of state and head of government and is directly elected for a five-year term. The National Assembly has 64 members, who are directly elected for a four-year term. Every citizen may vote at the age of 18. The country is divided into 6 provinces, within which there are a total of 78 districts.
Recent History
Independence from France was proclaimed on 1 August 1960, and the following month Dahomey—as Benin was called until 1975—was admitted to the United Nations (UN). The first 12 years following independence were marked by regional strife, trade union and student strikes, and six military coups. The nation suffered from disunity until Major Matthieu Kérékou seized power. He adopted Marxism-Leninism as the official ideology in 1974, renamed the country the People’s Republic of Benin, and governed with a strong hand until 1989.
When communism disintegrated in Europe, Kérékou sponsored a national conference in which it was decided that Benin would become a multi-party democracy. Kérékou headed a transitional government until a new constitution was written and elections could be held in 1991. Although the period was unstable due to strikes and opposition activities, national elections were held on schedule. Nicéphore Soglo defeated Kérékou to become president of the newly declared Republic of Benin. In national elections held in March 1996 Kérékou was elected president and returned to power.
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