Beninese presidential election, 2011
Encyclopedia
A presidential election was held in Benin
on 13 March 2011 (after being postponed twice from 27 February and 6 March 2011); a runoff
would have been held on 27 March 2011, if it had been necessary.
It was the fifth presidential election in the country since the 1991 introduction of multi-party politics
and the first since Yayi Boni
was elected in 2006.
Boni ran for reelection against 13 other candidates, including former National Assembly
head and political veteran Adrien Houngbédji
and Abdoulaye Bio-Tchané, president of the West African Development Bank
.
The election was delayed twice over fears of too few voters being registered.
, leader of the Democratic Renewal Party
and runner-up to Boni in 2006, pledged to increase employment in the country's agriculture sector by investing 14 billion CFA francs ($28 million) in buying tractors and other heavy equipment for Beninese farmers. He also pledged to create an agricultural bank and lower the national income tax.
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
on 13 March 2011 (after being postponed twice from 27 February and 6 March 2011); a runoff
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
would have been held on 27 March 2011, if it had been necessary.
It was the fifth presidential election in the country since the 1991 introduction of multi-party politics
Multi-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...
and the first since Yayi Boni
Yayi Boni
Dr. Thomas Yayi Boni , a Beninese banker and politician, is the current President of Benin. He took office on 6 April 2006 after winning elections held in the previous month.-Biography:...
was elected in 2006.
Boni ran for reelection against 13 other candidates, including former National Assembly
National Assembly of Benin
The unicameral National Assembly of Benin is the country's legislative body.The current National Assembly has 83 members who are directly elected through a system of party-list proportional representation and serve five-year terms.-See also:...
head and political veteran Adrien Houngbédji
Adrien Houngbédji
Adrien Houngbédji is a Beninese politician and the leader of the Democratic Renewal Party , one of Benin's main political parties. He was President of the National Assembly of Benin from 1991 to 1995, Prime Minister of Benin from 1996 to 1998, and President of the National Assembly for a second...
and Abdoulaye Bio-Tchané, president of the West African Development Bank
West African Development Bank
The West African Development Bank - WADB is an international Multilateral Development Bank established in 1973 to serve the nations of Francophone and Lusophone West Africa...
.
The election was delayed twice over fears of too few voters being registered.
Adrien Houngbédji
Adrien HoungbédjiAdrien Houngbédji
Adrien Houngbédji is a Beninese politician and the leader of the Democratic Renewal Party , one of Benin's main political parties. He was President of the National Assembly of Benin from 1991 to 1995, Prime Minister of Benin from 1996 to 1998, and President of the National Assembly for a second...
, leader of the Democratic Renewal Party
Democratic Renewal Party (Benin)
The Democratic Renewal Party is a political party of Benin led by Adrien Houngbédji. Houngbédji lived in exile for several years, but returned to Benin to take part in the National Conference of 1990. He built up his party largely around other exiled Beninese...
and runner-up to Boni in 2006, pledged to increase employment in the country's agriculture sector by investing 14 billion CFA francs ($28 million) in buying tractors and other heavy equipment for Beninese farmers. He also pledged to create an agricultural bank and lower the national income tax.