Benin Leader Says Vote Marked Reform of Failed Multiparty System

Benin’s elections, in which opposition parties were banned from taking part, were “the culmination of a major reform of a partisan system,” which would pave the way for necessary constitutional changes, Benin President Patrice Talon said in a televised speech late Monday.

The vote, in which only two parties loyal to Talon were allowed to take part, was part of "risky" but necessary reforms designed to ensure “economic and social progress” and “restore confidence and credibility” in the state, the 61-year-old president said. The previous party system, in place for 30 years, was "the cause of poor governance and lack of development," he said.