Benin will vote for a new president today (Sunday) in a crowded race focused on boosting the flagging economy, though logistical problems may keep hundreds of thousands from casting their ballots.
Current President Thomas Boni Yayi is stepping down after two terms at the helm of the small West African cotton-producer, leaving 33 candidates vying to replace him, Reuters reported.
Benin Republic has not seen the levels of political tension that have plagued other recent votes across the continent, including in Burundi and Rwanda where leaders have tested constitutional limits to stand for a third term.
But there are concerns frustrations could rise because of delays in distributing voting cards that have already held up the vote by one week.
“The problem is that many of the old cards had problems that weren’t addressed,” Fidele Marcos Kikan, who heads Amnesty International’s Benin branch, told Reuters.
“I myself have not received my card so I cannot vote. There are many people who cannot vote.”
