Benin elected its new president on Sunday, with Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni widely considered the favorite after orchestrating a decade of economic growth in the West African country, despite jihadist attacks in the north.
Nearly eight million voters are called to the polls to choose the successor to Patrice Talon, who is leaving office after two five-year terms and has given his support to Wadagni to succeed him.
Voter turnout will be a crucial factor after a lackluster campaign marked by voter apathy.
We must vote to guarantee a high turnout," said Yvan Glidja, a man in his thirties who turned up early at a school turned polling station in Cotonou, the commercial capital, to vote for Wadagni.
Backed by the two main parties in power, Wadagni is facing Paul Hounkpe, an opposition figure whose campaign has been very discreet and who had to rely on the help of the majority's MPs to obtain the parliamentary support necessary to be included on the ballots.
"There can be no real enthusiasm; for that, there would need to be a debate and each side would have to believe in its chances," said Rufin Godjo, political analyst.
The main opposition party, Les Démocrates, is not fielding a candidate, as its leader, Renaud Agbodjo, failed to secure the required number of parliamentary endorsements to stand in the election.
“I will not vote, this election is not inclusive. We cannot talk about a real democratic competition when certain key political actors are excluded,” said Arnold Dessouassi, a 39-year-old teacher.
The ruling majority attributes the Democrats' exclusion to internal divisions. Several leading figures from the party have joined Wadagni's campaign.
"The discontented have not disappeared. Tensions and frustration remain high; their electoral hopes have been dashed," Godjo said, speaking of the voters.
The European Union, the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) all sent large delegations to observe the election.
"We hope that as many Beninese as possible will go to the polls today to make their choice," Nana Akufo-Addo, former Ghanaian president and head of the ECOWAS delegation, told AFP.
A golden decade
The next elections in Benin will not take place until 2033, as a constitutional reform adopted last year extended the presidential term from five to seven years and harmonized the electoral calendar so that all elections take place by that date.
A key question for many is the next president's approach to civil liberties after the authoritarian turn taken by Talon, under whose regime many opponents were sentenced to heavy prison terms for various crimes.
Hounkpe, for his part, promised to release the "political prisoners".
The country experienced rapid growth during the Talon decade: GDP doubled, growth exceeded 6% annually, tourism developed, and numerous infrastructure projects were completed.
As the architect of this development during his ten years at the Ministry of Finance, Wadagni embodies continuity.
Major challenges
But major challenges remain, including a huge gap between the haves and the have-nots.
"The next phase of the country's development will be the eradication of extreme poverty. This is one of his priorities," said one of Wadagni's close associates.
The poverty rate is estimated at over 30% and many Beninese complain that the benefits of economic growth over the last ten years have not reached them.
Benin's economic growth will also depend on the restoration of security and stabilization of the country.
Northern Benin is gripped by increasingly deadly jihadist violence, perpetrated mainly by Al-Qaeda's Sahelian branch, the Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM).
Very active in neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, JNIM has recruited fighters and carried out deadly raids against the army in this less developed region of Benin.
If elected on Sunday, Wadagni should be able to count on the loyalty of the army, which played a decisive role in suppressing an attempted coup against Talon in December.
