Selection of the LD candidate duo: the party is not immune to frustrations despite its caution.

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Les Démocrates has launched a transparent procedure to choose its candidate duo for the 2026 presidential elections. Through an official document, the political organization chaired by Boni Yayi specifies the conditions for designating its candidates as well as the financial and administrative obligations linked to the process.

Criteria for designation

To be selected, the candidate must:

• be a member of the party (founder or regular member),
• be up to date with dues and membership fees;

• have participated in the party’s activities and be recognized for their support, financial and/or moral contributions to the party’s prominence;

• enjoy good moral standing and not have been subject to incidents damaging their reputation;

• demonstrate concrete results in their political work at the local level;

• demonstrate unifying leadership and an ability to mobilize resources for the campaign, notably for the presidential election.

The party also requires a deposit of 25 million CFA francs when submitting a candidacy. If not selected, part of the amount (20 million FCFA) will be returned to the candidate.

Administrative documents to provide

Among the documents required to run as a candidate or running mate in the presidential elections are:

• a certificate of nationality,

• a criminal record extract (bulletin no. 3) dated less than three months ago,

• a certificate of residence,

• a tax clearance covering the last three years (2022, 2023 and 2024),

• proof of ownership of land or shares in agricultural companies if the candidate is a beneficiary of land distributed by the State,

• a sworn statement of non-conviction,

• a detailed curriculum vitae.

Additional documents

The party also requires:

• a membership card or registration form,

• a certificate of participation in the party’s activities,

• proof of the candidate’s local ties,

• an official acknowledgment of their financial and moral contributions, issued by the party’s competent bodies.

A high-stakes selection

If these criteria reflect a desire for rigor and transparency, the task will not be easy for the committee in charge of reviewing the candidacies.

Indeed, beyond the administrative and financial documents, certain “subjective” criteria will no doubt come into play to differentiate the candidates for the candidate duo. The debate around self-sponsorship could resurface.

The party is therefore not immune to frustrations or disputes among unsuccessful aspirants. In this context, strong leadership and an internal management strategy will be needed to maintain cohesion and build consensus around the candidate duo that will represent the party in 2026.

Beyond individual ambitions, the challenge for Les Démocrates will be to place the general interest above partisan quarrels, in order to arrive at the elections with a united and credible front facing the country’s other political forces, notably the political bloc around the outgoing government.