1/23/23, 5:51 PM 2023 Beninese parliamentary election - Wikipedia

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1Background

2Electoral system

3Results

4Aftermath

5References

2023 Beninese parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in

Benin on 8 January 2023. All 109 2023 Beninese parliamentary election
members of the National Assembly were
elected.[1] The preliminary results of the
election were announced on 11
January.[2] 8 January 2023

Background All 109 seats in the National Assembly

55 seats needed for a majority
The 2016 presidential elections were Turnout 38.76% ( 11.64%)
won by Patrice Talon, with the country
then widely seen as an example of Party Leader % Seats +/–
democracy on the African continent.[3] Progressive Joseph Djogbenou 37.56 53 +6
However, the 2019 parliamentary
Union
elections led to a major crisis. Only two
parties, both of which supported Talon, Republican Bloc Abdoulaye Bio 29.23 28 -8
were allowed to compete (the Tchané
Progressive Union and the Republican
Bloc), with opposition lists failing The Democrats Eric Houndété 24.16 28 New
validation after the implementation of a
more restrictive electoral code by the This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
government. The opposition, civil
society and NGOs such as Amnesty International denounced what they considered to be an
authoritarian drift by the government, damaging the country's democratic reputation.[3][4][5] The
conduct of the parliamentary elections was criticised, including the government cutting off access to
the internet and social networks during the vote, and the arrest of opponents and journalists in the
months leading up to election day.[6][7][8]

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As expected, the elections saw a low turnout, with only 27% of voters voting. The Progressive Union
won an absolute majority with 47 seats, while the Republican Bloc won the remaining 36.[9] Several
post-election demonstrations led to violence between police and demonstrators, as well as significant
material damage and at least two deaths.[10] The police and army intervened to disperse barricades
erected in several streets of the port city Cotonou, including via live fire, causing one death.[11][12]

Political dialogue was held for six months after the elections and led to an agreement on the rules of
participation in the next legislative elections, which was enshrined in a revision of the constitution.
Parties could no longer participate in alliances, and were required to present candidates in each
constituency to concentrate votes on parties of real national importance. However, during the
municipal elections of May 2020, which involved 546 districts, five parties had their participation
validated by the Constitutional Court (CENA), compared to 34 party or party alliance lists in the
previous municipal elections in 2015.[13] The agreement also led to the number of parliamentary
deputies increasing from 83 to 109, but elected for a shortened term of three years, to hold the next set
of legislative and municipal elections together in January 2026, followed by presidential elections in
April.[14] The latter will also see a vice-president elected at the same time as the president, both elected
for a term of five years.[15][16]

Electoral system
The 109 members of the National Assembly (increased from the prior election's 83) are elected by
proportional representation in 24 multi-member constituencies, based on the country's departments,
with seats allocated using the simple quotient and then the largest remainder method,[17] and an
electoral threshold of 10%. A deposit of 249 million francs is required for a list to contest the
elections.[18] Lists are required to put forward at least one candidate in all constituencies. Following
the constitutional revision of 2019,[19] the mandate of deputies elected in the 2023 elections is reduced
from four to three years, as a transitional measure, while the normal duration of the mandate in
following elections is extended from four to five years. Following this, in January 2026, Benin will
hold with new legislative and municipal elections combined with a presidential-vice-presidential
election (for a five-year term) later in April.[20] The revision also introduces a total of 24 seats reserved
for women, one per constituency, as well as a limit of three terms from the 2023 elections, without
retroactive effect, for all MPs.[21]

Results
Provisional results were announced on 11 January, with the Progressive Union for Renewal (UPR)
winning a plurality of seats (53), followed by the Republican Bloc (BR) and the Democrats (LD) each
winning 28 seats. The only opposition party to cross the electoral threshold was the Democrats of
former president Thomas Boni Yayi.[22] Other parties, including the Cowry Forces for an Emerging
Benin, Movement of Committed Elites for the Emancipation of Benin, People's Liberation Movement
and Democratic Union for a New Benin combined for approximately 9% of the votes, but did not earn
any seats because they did not earn above 10% of the vote individually. Roughly 3% of votes were
invalid, and preliminary turnout was 38.66%.[23][24][25] The Constitutional Court certified the results
on 12 January.[26]

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Party Votes % Seats +/–

Progressive Union for Renewal 930,714 37.56 53 +6

Republican Bloc 724,240 29.23 28 –8

The Democrats 598,560 24.16 28 New

Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin 109,598 4.42 0 0

Movement of Committed Elites for the Emancipation of Benin 56,728 2.29 0 New

People's Liberation Movement 31,638 1.28 0 New

Democratic Union for a New Benin 26,430 1.07 0 0

Total 2,477,908 100.00 109 +26

Valid votes 2,477,908 96.85

Invalid/blank votes 80,538 3.15

Total votes 2,558,446 100.00

Registered voters/turnout 6,769,817 37.79

Source: Constitutional Court (https://visages-du-benin.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/résultats-Législatives-2023-ave
c-compression.pdf)

Aftermath
As the elections were won by pro-government parties, incumbent president Patrice Talon is expected
to retain control of the government until his second term concludes in 2026.[27] Although Talon is not
a member of either party, the UPR and BR both support his presidency. Éric Houndété, leader of the
LD opposition party, made claims of vote buying and ballot stuffing without providing evidence,
saying "The Democrats party rejects this result, which does not reflect the will of the people to make
our party the first political force in our country."[26] Election observers, including the Benin-based
Civic Academy for Africa's Future (CiAAF), noted that the elections were violence-free compared to
prior elections in 2019 and 2021, with CiAAF head Expedit Ologou calling the elections "calm,
peaceful, friendly, [and] fraternal in most areas of the country".[28]

References
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