Political newcomer Thomas Boni Yayi won the second round
of presidential elections in March 2006, gaining more than 74% of the
vote.
Mr Yayi is a former head of the Togo-based West African
Development Bank. He said he would concentrate on reviving the economy
and stamping
out corruption.
In the April 2007 elections, Mr Yayi's coalition won
control of parliament and said this would enable him to push through
anti-corruption reforms. The constitutional court president said there
had been irregularities in the polls, but not serious enough to damage
their credibility.
Born in 1952 into a Muslim family in the north, Mr
Yayi later became an evangelical Christian.
His predecessor, one-time
army major Mathieu Kerekou, led Benin for all but five years after
seizing power in 1972. He earned for the country
the label "Africa's Cuba" before dropping Marxist-Leninist
ideology. He was barred by a constitutional age limit from running
in the 2006 poll.
Benin's president heads the government, the state
and the military and appoints members of the cabinet.
- Alliance caméléon (Chameleon Alliance)
- Alliance Étoile (Star Alliance)
- Alliance pour la démocratie et le progrès (Alliance
for Democracy and Progress)
- Alliance pour la social-démocratie (Alliance for Social Democracy,
social-democratic)
- Car DUNYA Impulsion au progrès et la démocratie (Impulse
to Progress and Democracy)
- Notre cause commune (Our common case)
- Nouvelle génération (New Generation)
- Front d'action pour le rénouveau et le développement
(Action Front for Renewal and Development)
- Mouvement africain pour la démocratie et le progrès
(African - Movement for Democracy and Progress)
- Mouvement nationale pour la démocratie et le développement
(National Movement for Democracy and Development, social-democratic)
- Mouvement pour l'Engagement et le Réveil du Citoyen (Movement
for Citizens' Commitment and Awakening)
- Parti communiste du Bénin (Communist Party of Benin, communist)
- Parti de la renaissance du Bénin (Party for the Rebirth of
Benin, centrist)
- Parti du renouveau démocratique (Democratic Renewal Party)
- Parti social-démocrate (Social Democratic Party)
- Rassemblement africain pour le progrès et la solidarité (African
Rally for Progress and Solidarity)
- Rassemblement des démocrates libéraux (Rally of Liberal
Democrats, liberal)
- Rassemblement pour la démocratie et le progrès (Rally
for Democracy and Progress)
- Union nationale pour la démocratie et le progrès (National
Union for Democracy and Progress)
- Union pour la démocratie et la solidarité nationale
(Union for Democracy and National Solidarity)
