Protests erupt in Benin ahead of presidential election on Sunday
Security forces in Benin have fired tear gas to disperse opposition protesters.
CAPE TOWN, April 8 (ANA) – Protests erupted in the West African country of Benin this week, after opposition demonstrators burned property of pro-government deputies and blockaded roads, just days before President Patrice Talon faces an election.
Security forces in Benin have fired tear gas to disperse opposition protesters, reports BBC.
According to AFP, tensions erupted in several towns around the country, in the lead-up to Sunday’s ballot in which president Talon is strongly favoured to win a second term.
The opposition wants Talon to honour a promise made when he was first elected, to step down after five years to avoid “complacency” and seek to limit future presidents to a single term, reported Today.ng.
According to Modern Ghana, Benin, which was once praised as a vibrant multi-party democracy in an often troubled region, observers say the country has slipped into authoritarianism under Talon as the opposition were steadily sidelined.
The president, who took power in 2016, will be running against two challengers in Sunday’s election.
Local media reports that Talon faces two little-known rivals with most opposition figures from the West African country either living in exile or disqualified from running in the election.
Furthermore, according to the African Development Bank Group, Benin seems to have fared better than many other countries during the Covid–19 pandemic.
However, the economic effects of the pandemic have been significant in a country considered among the best-performing in Africa.
The bank reported that Benin’s real GDP growth was estimated to have slowed to 2.3 percent in 2020, following 6.9 percent in 2019 and 6.7 percent in 2018.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Naomi Mackay