Benin held parliamentary and local elections on Sunday in a vote widely expected to reinforce the ruling coalition of outgoing President Patrice Talon, coming just weeks after authorities said they foiled an attempted coup.
The polls take place only three months before the country’s presidential election, but questions over their competitiveness have been raised after the main opposition Democrats party was excluded from the local races.
Addressing the nation on Sunday, President Talon struck an optimistic tone about Benin’s future. “Today marks the beginning of a better day. The best is yet to come, and our hope is that each day will be better than the last,” he said.
Talon is set to step down at the end of his term, with his chosen successor, Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, widely viewed as the frontrunner in the upcoming presidential vote. During his ten years in office, Talon has overseen robust economic growth and pushed modernization reforms across the West African country.
However, his record has drawn criticism from opponents and rights groups, who accuse his administration of narrowing political space and limiting civil liberties, fueling ongoing debate over the state of democracy in Benin.
