Two Pro-Government Parties Claim Benin's 109 Seats
CENA President Sacca Lafia signed the decision revealing only two political movements—the Progressive Union for Renewal (UP-R) and the Republican Bloc (BR)—satisfied Electoral Code criteria, claiming all 109 positions in the 10th National Assembly.
UP-R captured 60 parliamentary positions—44 standard seats plus 16 women's quota slots—after claiming 41.15% of validated votes. BR secured 49 seats (41 standard, eight women's quota) with 36.64% support.
Across 17,350 nationwide polling locations, more than 2.8 million citizens voted from a registry exceeding 7.8 million eligible voters, yielding a 36.73% participation rate. Officials invalidated approximately 87,400 ballots.
Benin's electoral framework mandates parties achieve 20% support across each of the nation's 24 electoral districts to qualify for parliamentary allocation.
The Democrats (LD), despite capturing 16.16% nationally, missed the district-level benchmark in multiple constituencies—including 2.89% in the 11th district and 3.36% in the 24th—resulting in total parliamentary exclusion.
FCBE (4.86%) and MOELE-BENIN (1.21%) similarly failed to secure representation, forfeiting coalition partnership benefits after falling beneath mandatory thresholds.
Senior Officials Secure Seats
Preliminary tallies confirm victories for prominent figures including National Assembly speaker Louis Vlavonou (UP-R, 21st constituency), Joseph Djogbenou (same party, 23rd district), and Minister of State Abdoulaye Bio Tchane (BR, Djougou).
CENA submitted findings to the Constitutional Court, which will adjudicate challenges and announce certified outcomes within days.
Absent substantial legal contestation, newly elected legislators face a February 8 swearing-in ceremony—the month's second Sunday.
The parliamentary contest follows governance modifications implemented since 2019 designed to consolidate the party landscape and bolster institutional continuity.
Mirroring the prior legislative session, current regulations have produced a chamber entirely composed of presidential allies, eliminating opposition presence while participation sinks to unprecedented lows—a dynamic intensifying criticism regarding Benin's political system's democratic breadth.
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