Benin: The Les Démocrates party’s Ordinary National Council opens this Sunday.

Initially planned for the day before, the session was postponed to March 22, a sign of the importance of the arbitrations to be made. This National Council is taking place mainly in a context of transition at the party’s top leadership. The withdrawal of former president Boni Yayi from effective leadership has opened a new phase, now led by Éric Houndété. This development raises questions about the party’s ideological and strategic repositioning, the main opposition force to the regime in power.

In this framework, the party’s governing body is called to fully play its statutory role, namely to define the major political orientations, consolidate internal cohesion, and decide on strategic issues related to electoral deadlines. The National Council also comes after a major electoral setback. In the January 2026 legislative elections, Les Démocrates obtained about 16% of the votes, without reaching the 20% threshold required to win seats in the National Assembly. (Wikipedia)

This result has led to a total absence of parliamentary opposition, an unprecedented situation in Benin’s recent political history. It weakens the party’s institutional capacity, while paradoxically strengthening its role as the main hub of protest expression outside the institutions.

In this context, the Cotonou meeting appears as a bid to relaunch political momentum, aiming to rebuild internal dynamics and to give back visibility to its actions.

The question of positioning for the presidential election

One of the major issues for this National Council also concerns the party’s strategy for the upcoming presidential election. After the invalidation of its initial candidacy in 2025, Les Démocrates find themselves without an official candidate for the April 2026 poll. Therefore, several options are on the table, namely: maintaining a firm opposition stance without explicit support; entering into an alliance or tactical support for a candidate; or playing a political arbiter role depending on the proposed programs.

Consultations have already been held with several political actors, notably declared candidates, in order to evaluate their policy platforms. The National Council will therefore need to formalize a clear line before the official start of the electoral campaign.

Beyond the presidential deadline alone, this session is part of a broader context of reconfiguration of Benin’s political landscape. The recent constitutional reform, the lengthening of terms, and the dominance of parties close to the power permanently redraw the institutional balances. In light of this new reality, Les Démocrates must define a long-term strategy such as electoral reconquest, organizational restructuring, or ideological repositioning.