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Benin's gov't, opposition in race for control of local authorities

Xinhua, June 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

Benin's ruling party, the Cowrie Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE) and an alliance of opposition parties are engaged in a tight race to win the municipal, communal and local authorities elections set for June 28.

Each camp is fighting for the control of the 77 communes in order to have a strong base for contesting the 2016 presidential elections.

Although FCBE has expressed its desire to win a majority of seats in the 77 communes to prepare a fertile ground for the replacement of outgoing President Boni Yayi in 2016, the opposition camp is doing everything possible to block the ruling party from maintaining its grip on the local authorities.

In the current scenario, FCBE is finding itself alone against a strong opposition alliance that seem to have found unity since the last legislative elections held on April 26, 2015, during which they won 50 parliamentary seats against 33 for FCBE.

Beninese political observers have noted that even though the ruling alliance has been strongly represented in local authorities since 2008, the battle for the control of local authorities in the forthcoming local elections will not be easy for them.

"This strong performance by the ruling coalition did not prevent the opposition parties from controlling the country's two main cities, the commercial capital Cotonou and the political capital Porto-Novo," the observers argue.

According to them, these two cities, in addition to Parakou town which is situated some 450 km north of Cotonou, are very strategic because of their large population, economic resources and attractiveness for investments.

"Victory in these three major towns will be a determining factor for the opposition or the current government, to be assured of a strong electoral base during the 2016 presidential elections, " political observers affirmed.

According to the National Autonomous Electoral Commission which is in charge of organizing elections in Benin, 34 political parties and alliances are contesting the forthcoming elections that will see 1,199 communal and municipal councillors elected, who will then elect 77 mayors and 176 deputy mayors as well as 546 district heads. Endi