In Benin, the legislative elections of January 11, 2026 confirm the strong domination of the parties supporting President Patrice Talon.
According to provisional results published by the Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA), the UP-R obtained 41.15% of the votes and the Republican Bloc 36.64%. These two parties are the only ones to exceed the required threshold in each of the 24 electoral districts. They therefore share the 109 seats, the UP-R by winning 60 and the BR 49.
With 16.14% of the votes, the Democrats, the main opposition party, did not reach the legal threshold required to obtain seats. FCBE (4.86%) and MOELE-BENIN (1.21%) are also excluded from the distribution. This configuration reproduces that of 2019, marked by a Parliament entirely dominated by the presidential majority.
Opposition leaders denounce an "exclusive and dangerous" electoral code, believing that the absence of deputies hinders the control of government action. At the same time, the UP-R spokesperson defends the legitimacy of the vote, recalling that "these elections are the clear expression of a popular choice".
The participation rate reached 36.7%. The final results will be proclaimed by the Constitutional Court, confirming the composition of the future National Assembly. Deprived of any parliamentary representation, the Democrats will neither be able to participate in the municipal elections nor present a candidate for the presidential election on April 12.
