2006 Beninese presidential election

Election of Thomas Boni Yayi Benin presidential 2001 Beninese presidential election 2001 2011 Beninese presidential election 2011 5 March 2006 (first round)19 March 2006 (second round) 81.40% (first round)69.47% (second round) Yayi Boni.jpg Thomas Boni Yayi Independent politician 1,979,305 74.60% Adrien Houngbédji, President of the Beninese National Assembly, March 2019.jpg 300 125 150 0 90 Adrien Houngbédji Democratic Renewal Party (Benin) 673,937 25.40% President Mathieu Kérékou FARD-Alafia Thomas Boni Yayi Independent politicianthumb|right|Members of the National Autonomous Electoral Commission (CENA) are counting the votes after the second round on 19 March 2006thumb|Civil Society members offer their own transportation means to carry and safeguard the transparent ballot boxes from the polling stations to the electoral commission offices. Presidential elections were held in Benin on 5 March 2006. Long-term president Mathieu Kérékou, who had led the country for all but five years since 1972, was barred from running for a third term. The constitution not only stipulated an absolute two-term limit, but required presidents to be 70 years old or younger when taking office; Kérékou had turned 70 in 2003. In July 2005, Kérékou signalled that he would not seek to change the constitution, as has been done in some other African countries, so that he could run again. Kérékou's long-time rival Nicéphore Soglo was also barred from standing due to his age.Kerekou says will retire next year, will not change constitution to stay in power IRIN, 12 July 2005 With the men who had been among the country's leading political figures since the return of democracy barred from running, the campaign had a level of openness and unpredictability not common for African presidential elections. Since no candidate won a majority, a second round was held between the two leading candidates on 19 March; Thomas Boni Yayi won the election and took office in April. Candidates A total of 33 candidate applications were registered with the Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA). In a ruling issued on 30 January 2006, the Constitutional Court accepted 26 candidacies, as the candidacies of Daniel Shalom, Vincent Emmanuel Ahounou, and Adébayo Ananie were rejected because they were deemed medically unfit for the presidency, while the candidacies of Lary Egoundoukpè and Alidou Tamama were rejected because they had not paid the deposit of five million CFA francs required of candidates. Another two candidates, Edgar Alias and Yaro Sourakatou, withdrew in favor of Boni prior to the ruling. The approved candidates included three serving members of Kérékou's government: Zul Kifl Salami, Antoine Dayori, and Kamarou Fassassi. Additionally, the Constitutional Court approved the candidacies of two heads of major institutions: those of Antoine Idji Kolawolé, the President of the National Assembly, and Raphiou Toukourou, the President of the Economic and Social Council.La Cour constitutionnelle retient 26 candidatures https://web.archive.org/web/20080320234304/http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=PAN60026lacouseruta0 March 20, 2008 Panapress, 30 January 2006 fr Results In the first round, held on 5 March, Boni, former chairman of the West African Development Bank, placed first with around 35% of the vote, and former President of the National Assembly Adrien Houngbédji of the Democratic Renewal Party placed second with around 24% of the vote. In third place was the Social Democratic Party's candidate Bruno Amoussou, a former speaker of parliament and planning minister who obtained around 16% of the vote, and in fourth place was Benin Renaissance candidate Lehady Soglo, son of former president Nicéphore Soglo, with around 8% of the vote. Boni was an independent candidate, and this was his first election; Houngbédji and Amoussou had both run for president three previous times.Elections in Benin https://web.archive.org/web/20210627183714/https://africanelections.tripod.com/bj.html 2021-06-27 African Elections DatabaseProfiles of front-runners in presidential race IRIN, 3 March 2006 Shortly after results were announced in mid-March, the government set the date for the second round between Boni and Houngbédji for 19 March. The country's election commission asked for more time, but this was refused. Boni was backed for the second round by both Amoussou and Soglo.Rejecting appeal, government sets poll for 19 March IRIN, 18 March 2006 He won the second round with almost 75% of the vote and was sworn in on 6 April.Virgile Ahissou, Celebrations in Benin as Boni takes office December 2016 medicmedic Associated Press, 7 April 2006 Thomas Boni Yayi Independent 1074308 1979305 Adrien Houngbédji Democratic Renewal Party 727239 673937 Bruno Amoussou Social Democratic Party 489122 Léhady Soglo Benin Rebirth Party 253478 Antoine Kolawolé Idji African Movement for Development and Progress 97595 Lazare Sèhouéto Movement for the People's Alternative 61195 Sévérin Adjovi Liberal Democrats' Rally for National Reconstruction – Vivoten 53304 Antoine Dayori Hope Force 37436 Kamarou Fassassi Awakening Party of Democrats of the New Generation 29494 Janvier Yahouédéhou Independent 23054 Luc Gnacadja Envol Movement 20269 Daniel Tawéma Action Front for Renewal and Development 18125 Ibrahima Idrissou Rally for National Unity and Democracy 18106 Richard Sènou Independent 15672 Soulé Dankoro Democratic Party 9929 red Marie-Elise Gbèdo Independent 9815 Célestine Zanou Independent 9474 Lionel Agbo African Congress of Democrats 9026 Zul Kifl Salami Independent 8538 Richard Adjaho Independent 7448 Gatien Houngbédji Democratic Union for Economic and Social Development 6544 Adolphe Djimon Hodonou Independent 6512 Galiou Soglo Independent 5243 Léandre Djagoué Rally of Liberal Democrats – Hêviosso 4665 Marcel Gbaguidi Independent 3479 Raphiou Toukourou Independent 3419 186777 69564 3917865 3919550 African Elections Database References External links Achieving Transformational Democracy in Africa: Benin strikes again USAID Commission Electoral Nationale Autonome fr Category:Presidential elections in Benin Benin Presidential Benin