Benin Election Results Hand Parliament to Presidential Majority

Benin’s ruling coalition has secured overwhelming control of the National Assembly following the January 11 legislative elections, with the main opposition excluded from parliamentary representation.

Provisional results released on Saturday by the National Autonomous Electoral Commission (CENA) show that only two parties met the legal threshold required to win seats. The Progressive Union for Renewal (UP- Renouveau) emerged with 41.15 percent of valid votes, while the Republican Bloc (BR) followed closely with 36.64 percent. Both parties surpassed the mandatory 20 percent threshold in each of the country’s 24 electoral districts, making them the sole beneficiaries of seat allocation.

In contrast, the main opposition party, The Democrats (LD), garnered 16.14 percent of the vote but failed to meet the legal requirements, resulting in its exclusion from the next National Assembly. Other opposition parties were similarly disqualified, including the Cauris Force for an Emerging Benin (FCBE), which obtained 4.86 percent, and the Movement of Elites for the Emancipation of Benin (MOELE-BENIN), with 1.21 percent.

The outcome represents a major blow to the Beninese opposition. The Democrats, regarded as the country’s principal opposition force, will have no parliamentary presence in the upcoming legislature, compounding their earlier exclusion from the presidential race due to insufficient endorsements.

With UP – Renouveau and the Republican Bloc both aligned with the presidential majority, the provisional results effectively guarantee the government full control of the future National Assembly.

The results will now be transmitted to Benin’s Constitutional Court for validation and final proclamation.