The Constitutional Court, the government body assigned to handle election disputes in Benin, has confirmed the results of recent legislative elections.  The results indicate a clear win for President Thomas Boni Yayi's coalition, giving it a majority in the 83 seat legislature.  Yayi's coalition, the Cowrie Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE), won 35 seats, while its rival, Alliance for a Dynamic Democracy (ADD), won 20 seats and the Democratic Renewal Party won 10 seats.  The remaining 18 seats were claimed by smaller parties.[1]   

Despite election irregularities, such as attempted ballot box stuffing, underage voting, non-Beninese citizens voting, and pressuring of electors, Constitutional Court President Conceptia Ouinsou said, "these irregularities do not damage the credibility of the election".[2]

The National Electoral Commission, whose internal disputes as well as setbacks in printing and distributing ballots caused a one week delay in the elections, released preliminary results April 5.  After some opposition parties claimed that the election had been tainted with fraud, the Constitutional Court reviewed the election process and confirmed the results on Saturday the 7th. 

According to the Commission, 2.7 million of the country's 4 million registered voters went to the polls in these elections.[3]  Over 80% of seats were overturned, indicating to observers that voters were seeking change.[4]  For President Yayi, the former development banker elected just last year, the results represent voter confidence in his campaign for anticorruption reforms.  Yayi was counting on these elections to help his coalition wrestle legislative power away from Benin's traditional elite that has recently found itself targeted in Yayi's anti-corruption efforts.[5]  Yayi claims that those targeted by his reforms are also responsible for the assassination attempt on him that took place last month. 

The International Institute for Justice and Development (IIJD) recognizes the Constitutional Court's findings and calls for the continued monitoring of post-election activity in Benin by civil society and by the international community.  Benin has emerged in recent years as one of the more stable multi-party democratic governments in Africa, and reports of violence and fraud in recent election periods represent a great threat to continued political stability and democratic institutions. The IIJD also supports the efforts of Yayi to crackdown on corruption and wrestle power from those who may try to thwart the fragile democratic institutions in Benin. The international community must continue to support the transparency and anti-corruption measures being taken by Yayi so that stability is ensured in Benin and in the region.