After more than 24 years of democracy, Benin is entering a intricate electoral cycle with three sets of upcoming elections: the local, communal and municipal elections that have been postponed since 2013 will be held next year; parliamentary elections scheduled for 2015; and a 2016 presidential election in which President Boni Yayi is expected to pass the baton to his successor. There are currently many questions and uncertainties about these elections, including why the electoral list remains unavailable just three months before the 2015 legislative elections. Decisions are being made based on both political and electoral calculations, which complicates the environment in which elections will take place. If left unchecked, this situation could threaten political stability and consolidation of the democratic process in Benin.

Contributor: Francis Adébola Laleyè, governance expert and consultant

This report is published through the support of the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) and the International Development Research Center of Canada (IDRC). In addition, the Institute for Security Studies is grateful for the support of the following core partners: the governments of Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United States.