Benin Held Elections as Current President Leaves Office

Benin voters have chosen their new president over the weekend as President Thomas Boni Yayi steps down after two terms, according to Reuters. The country had 33 candidates to choose from, but leading contender Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou is supported by Yayi and he has campaigned on a platform of bringing jobs to young people and aiding small businesses.

Benin is a small West African country, which has suffered immensely due to political instability and the decline of Nigeria’s economy. The election results are pending.

Benin voters have chosen their new president over the weekend as President Thomas Boni Yayi steps down after two terms, according to Reuters. The country had 33 candidates to choose from, but leading contender Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou is supported by Yayi and he has campaigned on a platform of bringing jobs to young people and aiding small businesses.

Benin is a small West African country, which has suffered immensely due to political instability and the decline of Nigeria’s economy. The election results are pending.

Benin may be struggling, but Yayi should be commended as an African leader who has agreed to step aside after his term limit ended, contrary to other leaders in such countries as Rwanda and Burundi. Yayi has ruled since 2006 and he is barred from a third-term because of constitutional constraints.

Benin has a rich tradition of democracy going back to 1991, becoming the first Sub-Saharan African nation to transition from dictatorship to multi-party governance. As Yayi cast his own ballet, he hopes his departure would strengthen democracy in his country while maintaining national cohesiveness.

While Benin’s democratic credibility is not in question, the issue of how to address the economy remains a looming question. Benin is a cotton-producing economy and relies heavily on trade with Nigeria. Moreover, Benin’s economy is agriculture-based and is not diversified enough to compete with other emerging markets around the world and attract foreign investors.

Additionally, Benin has minimal natural resources, with the exception of offshore oil reserves, but it is not enough for oil companies to launch full-scale exploration projects. Further, corruption has been a major issue plaguing economic success, despite the country’s track record of maintaining democracy. Benin enjoyed a relatively stable period after a 1972 coup, but transitioned into a Marxist-Leninist dictatorship that imposed legitimacy through the military.

By the 1980s, the government’s Marxist leanings declined, later to be abolished altogether during the early 1990s, and the poor country has since struggled to keep up in a new world economy. Despite privatization efforts during the 1990s, the West African country suffers from low living standards and lacking infrastructure.

The good news is that front-runner Zinsou is an investment banker and economist who may know how to improve the economy.  Zinsou not only enjoys popularity within his own party, but the primary opposition as well, and he is known as the “consensus candidate,” notes Channel NewsAsia. However, he faces viable competition from Sebastien Ajavon, a business tycoon who has called for energy reform, addressing youth unemployment and reducing corruption. Zinsou must also contend with prominent businessman Patrice Talon.