Freedom in the World 2004 - Benin

Political Rights: 2
Civil Liberties: 2
Status: Free
Population: 7,000,000
GNI/Capita: $380
Life Expectancy: 51
Religious Groups: Indigenous beliefs (50 percent), Christian (30 percent), Muslim (20 percent)
Ethnic Groups: African [42 ethnic groups, including Fon, Adja, Bariba, Yoruba] (99 percent), other (1 percent)
Capital: Porto-Novo

Ratings Change
Benin's political rights rating improved from 3 to 2 due to the holding of vigorously contested free and fair legislative elections.

Overview

Benin held legislative elections in March 2003 that gave the ruling-party coalition a majority in parliament for the first time since multiparty democracy was introduced more than a decade ago. Parties supporting President Mathieu Kerekou won 53 seats in the unicameral National Assembly, compared with 30 seats for opposition parties. The legislative polls followed local elections that represented the last step in Benin's decentralization process and helped reinstate voter confidence following flawed presidential elections in 2001.

Benin was once the center of the ancient kingdom of Dahomey, the name by which the country was known until 1975, when Kerekou renamed it. Six decades of French colonial rule ended in 1960, and Kerekou took power 12 years later, ending successive coups and countercoups. He imposed a one-party state under the Benin People's Revolutionary Party and pursued Marxist-Leninist policies. However, by 1990, economic hardships and rising internal unrest had forced Kerekou to agree to a national conference that ushered in democracy. The transition culminated in his defeat by Nicephore Soglo in the March 1991 presidential election, and the country's human rights record subsequently improved. Kerekou made a comeback in the 1996 presidential poll.

Presidential elections in 2001 were marred by technical and administrative problems, as well as a boycott by the secondand third-place finishers in the second round of voting. Former president Soglo and Adrien Houngbedji claimed fraud after they won 29 percent and 14 percent, respectively, in the first round of voting, compared with incumbent president Kerekou's 47 percent. The boycott gave Kerekou a solid victory with 84 percent of the vote in the second round of voting, in which he ended up running against an obscure fourth-place candidate. Several members of the Autonomous National Electoral Commission had stepped down in protest before the second round of voting, citing a lack of transparency and poor administration of the election.

Fourteen political parties participated in the March 2003 National Assembly elections. Voter turnout was low, and there were some logistical problems, but the polls were considered free and fair. Opposition party members had accused the ruling party of intimidation ahead of the elections, and the government banned "anti-fraud brigades" that had been organized by the opposition. Pro-Kerekou candidates won 53 assembly seats against 30 by opposition candidates. Corruption and unemployment were subjects that dominated campaigning.

In addition to winning a majority in parliament in the 2003 polls, Pro-Kerekou parties also came out ahead in the local elections, although two opposition leaders won important seats. Former president Soglo was elected mayor of the economic capital, Cotonou, and former presidential candidate Houngbedji was elected mayor of the administrative capital of Porto Novo.

Benin is a poor country whose economy is based largely on subsistence agriculture. The International Monetary Fund in 2002 commended Benin for its economic progress, although poverty indicators have not improved significantly.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

Citizens of Benin can change their government democratically. Benin held its first genuine multiparty elections in 1991 and now has more than 100 political parties. Historically, Benin has been divided between northern and southern ethnic groups, which are the main roots of current political parties; the south has enjoyed more advanced development. Northern ethnic groups enlisted during Kerekou's early years in power still dominate the military, although efforts have been made in recent years to rectify this situation.

Harsh libel laws have been used against journalists, but constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression are largely respected in practice. An independent and pluralistic press publishes articles highly critical of both government and opposition leaders and policies. Benin has dozens of daily newspapers, magazines, and private radio stations. It also has two television stations. Press freedom, however, suffered a slight setback in 2003 with the detention and beating of four journalists from Le Telegramme, a daily newspaper. They were detained following the publication of misleading information that was critical of two police authorities, according to Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres. Benin's private press observed a "no press day" to protest the detentions and beatings.

The government respects religious and academic freedom.

Freedom of assembly is respected in Benin, and requirements for permits and registration are often ignored. Numerous nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and human rights groups operate without hindrance. The right to organize and join unions is constitutionally guaranteed and respected in practice. Strikes are legal, and collective bargaining is common.

The judiciary is generally considered to be independent, but it is inefficient and susceptible to corruption at some levels. The executive retains important powers. The Constitutional Court has demonstrated independence, but was accused of bias in favor of the president during the 2001 presidential elections. Lawmakers in 2001 replaced the colonial criminal code. Prison conditions are harsh, marked by poor diet and inadequate medical care.

Human rights are largely respected, although concern has been raised about the operation of anticrime vigilante groups and the failure of the police to curb vigilantism. Smuggling children into neighboring countries for domestic service and meager compensation is reportedly widespread. Many, especially young girls, suffer abuse. Efforts are under way in Benin to fight child abuse and child trafficking through media campaigns and education. Hundreds of children were repatriated from Nigeria in 2003.

Although the constitution provides for equality for women, they enjoy fewer educational and employment opportunities than men, particularly in rural areas. In family matters, in which traditional practices prevail, their legal rights are often ignored. After much debate, a family code that in part strengthened property and inheritance rights for women was approved by the National Assembly in 2002. While female genital mutilation is not illegal, the government has cooperated with efforts by NGOs to raise awareness about the health dangers of the practice.