Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Benin
conventional short form: Benin
local long form: Republique du Benin
local short form: Benin
former: Dahomey
Data code: BN
Government type: republic under multiparty democratic rule; dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4 April 1991
Capital: Porto-Novo is the official capital; Cotonou is the seat of government
Administrative divisions: 6 provinces;
Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Mono, Oueme, Zou
note: six additional provinces have been reported but not confirmed;
they are Alibori, Collines, Couffo, Donga, Littoral, and Plateau;
moreover, the term "province" may have been changed
to "department"
Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday: National Day, 1 August (1990)
Constitution: December 1990
Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996);
notethe president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU (since 4 April 1996);
notethe president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 18 March 1996 (next to be held NA March 2001)
election results: Mathieu KEREKOU elected president; percent of
voteMathieu KEREKOU 52.49%, Nicephore SOGLO 47.51%
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are
elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 28 March 1995 (next to be held 28 March 1999)
election results: percent of vote by partyNA; seats by partyPRB
20, PRD 19, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 7, NCC 3, RDL-VIVOTEN 3, PCB 2,
AC 1, RDP 1, other 17
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle, Supreme Court or Cour Supreme, High Court of Justice
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance for Civic Renewal or ARC [leader NA]; Alliance for Democracy
and Progress or ADP [Adekpedjou Sylvain AKINDES]; Alliance of
the Social Democratic Party or PSD and the National Union for
Solidarity and Progress or UNSP [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Communist Party
of Benin or PCB [Pascal FANTONDJI, first secretary]; Democratic
Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Front for Renewal and
Development or FARD-ALAFIA [Jerome Sacca KINA]; Liberal Democrats'
Rally for National Reconstruction-Vivoten or RDL-Vivoten [Severin
ADJOVI]; Parti Ensemble [Albert TEVOEDJRE]
note: as of December 1998, more than 110 political parties were
officially recognized; among them are Benin Renaissance Party
or PRB, Our Common Cause or NCC, Cameleon Alliance or AC, Rally
for Democracy and Pan-Africanism or RDP
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MINURCA, MIPONUH, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB, WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in
the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lucien Edgar TONOUKOUIN
chancery: 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656
FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996
Diplomatic representation from
the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert C. FELDER
embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou
mailing address: B. P. 2012, Cotonou
telephone: [229] 30-06-50, 30-05-13, 30-17-92
FAX: [229] 30-14-39, 30-19-74
Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a vertical green band on the hoist side