ECOWAS to deploy mission to monitor Benin's presidential runoff poll

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will deploy a team of observers to monitor Benin's presidential runoff poll on Sunday, a statement from the regional organization said Thursday.

According to the same source, the mission's objective will be to ensure good conduct of the electoral process and supporting Beninese people succeed in their long democratic tradition.

"Observers will be deployed in all the 12 departments of the country to monitor all pre-electoral, electoral and post-electoral operations, and to compile a report on the conduct of the elections," the source said, adding that "the monitoring process will focus on transparency and fairness of the presidential elections."

Led by former Guinea Prime Minister Kabine Komara, the short-term mission will be comprised of 70 observers who include members of ECOWAS Panel of the Wise, ambassadors of ECOWAS member states, parliamentarians from the region as well as judges from the member states.

A day after the election, the statement pointed out, the ECOWAS observer mission will issue a statement and if necessary, give recommendations to different parties taking part in the elections.

The presidential runoff poll will be contested between current Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou and businessman Patrice Talon who respectively came first and second during the first round of the presidential elections on March 13, 2016. Enditem