| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Assemblée nationale / National Assembly |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
31 March 2007 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for all the seats in the National Assembly on the normal expiry of the member's term of office. |
Parliamentary elections
which were due to take place on 25 March 2007 were postponed to 31 March as a result of numerous logistic problems including the delay in printing ballot papers and delivery of election materials to polling stations.
The 2007 elections were the first to be held under President Thomas Boni Yayi
who was elected in March 2006 with nearly 75 per cent of the votes. He succeeded Mr. Mathieu Kérékou
who had led the country for most of the period since 1972
except between 1991 and 1995 when Mr. Nicéphore Soglo was President. Mr. Yayi
former head of the West African Development Bank
pledged to fight against corruption and re boost the country's economy. According to the World Bank
around one third of the country's 8.4 million inhabitants live under the poverty line.
In the last parliamentary elections held in 2003
the Presidential Movement
including the Union for the Benin of the Future (UBF) and the African Movement for Democracy and Progress (MADEP)
which supported the then President Kérékou
won 52 of the 83 seats
2007 elections were contested by 26 political parties and 2
158 candidates. President Yayi supported coalition called the Cauri Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE) which comprised about 20 political parties. President Yayi argued he needed a majority in parliament to continue economic reforms.
Main opposition coalition called the Alliance for a Dynamic Democracy (ADD) was led by former president Soglo. It included the Socialist Party of Benin (PSB) of Mr. Bruno Amoussou
the Rebirth of Benin (RB) of former first lady Ms. Rosine Vieyra Soglo
and the African Movement for Democracy and Progress (MADEP) of the outgoing Speaker of the National Assembly
Antoine Idji Kolawolé. The ADD had supported President Yayi in the 2006 presidential run off. The Democratic Renewal Party (PRD) of Mr. Adrien Houngbedji
who finished in second in the 2006 presidential elections
fielded candidates separately.
58.69 per cent of the nearly 4 million registered voters turned out at the polls. The elections went off in relative peace. Observers from African nations and regional groups
such as the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) praised the elections as having been well organized.
The Constitutional Court declared the official results on 7 April. In all
12 parties and coalitions won seats in the new National Assembly. President Yayi's FCBE came in first with 35 seats. The ADD and the PRD took 20 and 10 seats respectively. Other seats were won by smaller parties. In all
only 25 MPs in the outgoing legislature were re elected. Local analysts saw the results as a desire by citizens for change in parliament.
Opposition parties claimed election irregularities. The Constitutional Court
while acknowledging certain irregularities in the polls
declared they would not have changed the overall election results.
The newly elected members were sworn in on 23 April. On 3 May
Mr. Mathurin Nago (FCBE) was elected as the new Speaker.
On 17 June
President Yayi formed a new 26 member government
including six women. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 31 March 2007 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
4'000'000
58.69%
|
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% |
|
|
| Cauri Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Alliance for Democratic Momentum (ADD) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Democratic Renewal Party (PRD) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Key Force (FC) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Union for Renewal (UPR) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Coalition for an Emerging Benin (CBE) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Hope Force |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Alliance for Renewal (AR) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Restore Hope (RE) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Alliance of Progressive Forces (AFP) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Party for Democracy and Social Progress (PDPS) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
|
|
|
|
| Cauri Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE) |
35
|
|
|
|
|
| Alliance for Democratic Momentum (ADD) |
20
|
|
|
|
|
| Democratic Renewal Party (PRD) |
10
|
|
|
|
|
| Key Force (FC) |
4
|
|
|
|
|
| Union for Renewal (UPR) |
3
|
|
|
|
|
| Coalition for an Emerging Benin (CBE) |
2
|
|
|
|
|
| Hope Force |
2
|
|
|
|
|
| National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP) |
2
|
|
|
|
|
| Alliance for Renewal (AR) |
2
|
|
|
|
|
| Restore Hope (RE) |
1
|
|
|
|
|
| Alliance of Progressive Forces (AFP) |
1
|
|
|
|
|
| Party for Democracy and Social Progress (PDPS) |
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
76
7
8.43%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
|
|
| Comments |
Sources:
- http://www.gouv.bj/legislatives2007/
- National Assembly (01.01.2008) |
Compare data for parliamentary chambers in the Last elections module
