Editing History of Benin (section)

==Post-colonial Benin==
{{see also|Republic of Dahomey|People's Republic of Benin}}

=== 20th century ===
Between 1960 and 1972, a succession of [[military coup]]s brought about many changes of government.<ref>{{cite book|last=Decalo|first=Samuel|title=Political Reform in Francophone Africa|publisher=Westview Press|location=Boulder, CO|year=1997|editor=John F. Clark & David E. Gardinier|chapter=Benin: First of the new democracies|pages=43–61}}</ref> The last of these brought to power Major [[Mathieu Kérékou]] as the head of a regime professing strict [[Marxist-Leninist]] principles.<ref>Profiles of People in Power: The World's Government Leaders (2003), page 55.</ref> By 1975 the Republic of Dahomey changed its name to the People's Republic of Benin.<ref>Jamie Stokes.  Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Africa and the Middle East: L to Z. Infobase Publishing, 2009. {{ISBN|0-8160-7158-6}}, p110.</ref> The [[People's Revolutionary Party of Benin]] (PRPB) remained in complete power until the beginning of the 1990s. Kérékou, encouraged by France and other democratic powers, convened a national conference that introduced a new democratic constitution and held presidential and legislative elections. Kérékou's principal opponent at the presidential poll, and the ultimate victor, was Prime Minister [[Nicéphore Soglo]]. Supporters of Soglo also secured a majority in the National Assembly.<ref name=bn>[https://2009-2017.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/6761.htm "Background Note: Benin"]. U.S. Department of State (June 2008). {{PD-notice}}</ref> Benin was thus the first African country to successfully complete the transition from a dictatorship to a pluralistic political system.<ref>Thomson Gale (Firm). Countries of the world and their leaders yearbook 2007, Volume 1. Thomson Gale, 2006. {{ISBN|0-7876-8104-0}}, p212</ref>

In the second round of National Assembly elections held in March 1995, Zoglo's political vehicle, the Parti de la Renaissance du Benin, was the largest single party but lacked an overall majority. The success of a party formed by supporters of ex-president Kérékou, who had officially retired from active politics, allowed him to stand successfully at both the 1996 and 2001 presidential elections.<ref name=bn/>

=== 2000s ===
During the 2001 elections, however, alleged irregularities and dubious practices led to a boycott of the run-off poll by the main opposition candidates. The four top-ranking contenders following the first round presidential elections were Mathieu Kérékou (incumbent) 45.4%, Nicephore Soglo (former president) 27.1%, [[Adrien Houngbédji]] (National Assembly Speaker) 12.6%, and [[Bruno Amoussou]] (Minister of State) 8.6%. The second round balloting, originally scheduled for March 18, 2001, was postponed for days because both Soglo and Houngbedji withdrew, alleging electoral fraud. This left Kérékou to run against his own Minister of State, Amoussou, in what was termed a "friendly match."<ref name=bn/>

In December 2002, Benin held its first municipal elections since before the institution of Marxism-Leninism. The process was smooth with the significant exception of the 12th district council for Cotonou, the contest that would ultimately determine who would be selected for the mayoralty of the capital city. That vote was marred by irregularities, and the electoral commission was forced to repeat that single election. Nicephore Soglo's [[Benin Rebirth Party|Renaissance du Benin]] (RB) party won the new vote, paving the way for the former president to be elected Mayor of Cotonou by the new city council in February 2002.<ref name=bn/>

National Assembly elections took place in March 2003 and were generally considered to be free and fair. Although there were some irregularities, these were not significant and did not greatly disrupt the proceedings or the results. These elections resulted in a loss of seats by RB—the primary opposition party. The other opposition parties, the [[Democratic Renewal Party (Benin)|Party for Democratic Renewal]] (PRD) led by the former Prime Minister Adrien Houngbedji and the Alliance Etoile (AE), joined the government coalition.<ref name=bn/>

Former [[West African Development Bank]] Director [[Yayi Boni]] won the March 2006 [[2006 Beninese presidential election|election]] for the presidency in a field of 26 candidates.<ref>{{cite news |title=Boni wins Benin presidential election: official |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-03-23/boni-wins-benin-presidential-election-official/825650 |work=ABC News |date=22 March 2006 |language=en-AU}}</ref> International observers including the [[United Nations]], [[Economic Community of West African States]] (ECOWAS), and others called the election free, fair, and transparent. President Kérékou was barred from running under the 1990 constitution due to term and age limitations.<ref>{{cite news |title=President Mathieu Kerekou leaves after 29 years |url=https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/fr/node/225956 |work=The New Humanitarian |date=7 April 2006 |language=fr}}</ref> President Yayi was inaugurated on April 6, 2006.<ref name=bn/><ref>{{cite news |title=Benin: Celebration As Boni Takes Over |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/200604070127.html}}</ref>

Benin held legislative elections on March 31, 2007, for the 83 seats in the National Assembly. The Force Cowrie for an Emerging Benin (FCBE), a coalition of parties, closely linked to President Yayi, won a plurality of the seats in the National Assembly, providing the president with considerable influence over the legislative agenda.<ref name=bn/>

=== 2010s ===
In March 2011,  President Boni Yayi was re-elected with 53.13 percent of vote in the first-round of the [[2011 Beninese presidential election|election]]. His main rival rejected the results, claiming widespread irregularities.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/ozatp-benin-election-idAFJOE72L02120110322|title = Rival rejects poll win of Benin's Boni Yayi|newspaper = Reuters|date = 22 March 2011|last1 = Elijah|first1 = Samuel}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Benin's Boni Yayi wins second term - court |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/benin-election-idAFLDE72K0KE20110321 |work=Reuters |date=21 March 2011 |language=en}}</ref>

In October 2015, Benin's former President Mathieu Kerekou, who ruled the country a total of 28 years during his two spells as president (1972-1991 and 1996–2006), died at the age of 82.<ref>{{cite news |title=Benin's 'father of democracy' Mathieu Kerekou dies at 82 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34537057 |work=BBC News |date=15 October 2015}}</ref>

After President Boni Yayi had served maximum two five-year terms, businessman [[Patrice Talon]] succeeded him. Talon defeated prime minister [[Lionel Zinsou]], the candidate for Boni Yayi's [[Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin]] (FCBE), in the March 2016 presidential [[2016 Beninese presidential election|election]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.france24.com/en/Benin-presidential-elections-mark-victory-Talon|title=Businessman 'wins Benin's presidential election'|date=21 March 2016}}</ref>

=== 2020s ===
In April 2021,  incumbent Patrice Talon won re-election with 86 percent of the votes in the first round of the [[2021 Beninese presidential election|election]]. The change in election laws resulted in total control of parliament by president Talon's supporters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/13/benins-president-wins-re-election-with-86-official|title = Benin's President Patrice Talon wins re-election with 86%}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/11/vote-counting-in-benin-after-election-marked-by-violent-protests|title=Benin vote count begins after opposition groups boycott election}}</ref>

In April 2025, the government of Benin adopted a law, recognizing 16 kingdoms, 80 senior chiefs and 10 traditional chiefs through a new law, adopted in March 2025. The pre-colonial period, set at 1894 for the south and 1897 for the north of Benin, served as a historical reference for the bill to institutionalize chieftaincy in Benin. and to frame the rules on traditional territories.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.africarivista.it/il-benin-riconosce-i-capi-tradizionali/263599/|title=Il Benin riconosce i capi tradizionali}}</ref>