The president of Benin () is both

head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state (polity), state#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international p ...

and

head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, ...

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the nort ...

. The

Cabinet of Benin The Cabinet of Benin is appointed by the President of the Republic and is subject to the opinion of the Bureau of the National Assembly. Current formation The current government of Benin, in place since May 25, 2021, is made up of 24 ministers: ...

is under the authority of the President, and serves to advise and help formulate strategies. It also liaises with ministries and other government institutions. A total of seven people have served as President (not counting two acting presidents, several interim military officeholders and a collective presidency). Additionally, one person,

Mathieu Kérékou Mathieu Kérékou (; 2 September 1933 – 14 October 2015) was a Beninese politician who served as President of Benin from 1972 to 1991 and again from 1996 to 2006. After seizing power in a military coup, he ruled the country for 19 years, for ...

, has served on two non-consecutive occasions.

Description of the office

Election

The President of the Republic shall be elected by direct universal suffrage for a mandate of five years, renewable only one time.Article 42 of the Constitution of 1990. In any case, no one shall be able to exercise more than two presidential mandates. The election of the President of the Republic shall take place with a uninominal majority ballot in two rounds.Article 43 of the Constitution of 1990. No one may be a candidate for the office of President of the Republic unless:Article 44 of the Constitution of 1990. :# He is of Béninese nationality at birth or shall have acquired it for at least ten years; :# He is of good morality and of great honesty; :# He enjoys all his civil and political rights; :# He is at least 40 years old but not more than 70 years old at the date of the filing of his candidacy; :# He resides in the territory of the Republic of Bénin at the time of the elections; :# He enjoys a satisfactory state of physical and mental well-being duly verified by a collegiate board of three doctors sworn and designated by the Constitutional Court. The President of the Republic shall be elected by an absolute majority of votes cast. If that shall not be obtained in the first round of voting, it shall be followed, after a delay of fifteen days, by a second round.Article 45 of the Constitution of 1990. The only ones who may be presented in the second round of balloting shall be the two candidates who shall have received the greatest number of votes in the first round. In case of the withdrawal of one or both of the two candidates, the next ones shall be presented in the order of their filing after the first balloting. The candidate having received the relative majority of votes cast in the second round shall be declared elected. The convocation of the electors shall be made by a decree issued in the Council of Ministers.Article 46 of the Constitution of 1990. The first round of balloting for the election of the President of the Republic shall take place at least thirty days and at most forty days before the expiration date of the powers of the President in office.Article 47 of the Constitution of 1990. The mandate of the new President of the Republic shall take effect by counting from the expiration date of the mandate of his predecessor.

Oath of office

Before taking his office, the President of the Republic shall take the following oath:Article 53 of the Constitution of 1990. This oath shall be received by the President of the Constitutional Court before the National Assembly and the Supreme Court.

Vacancy

In case of vacancy of the Presidency of the Republic by death, resignation or permanent impediment, the National Assembly shall reconvene in order to rule on the case with an absolute majority of its members. The President of the National Assembly shall refer the matter to the Constitutional Court which shall certify it and declare the vacancy of the Presidency of the Republic. The duties of President of the Republic, with the exception of those mentioned in Articles 54 paragraph 3, 50, 60, 101, and 154 shall be temporarily exercised by the President of the National Assembly.Article 50 of the Constitution of 1990. The election of a new President of the Republic shall take place thirty days at the least and forty days at most after the declaration of the permanent nature of the vacancy. In case of bringing an accusation of the President of the Republic before the High Court of Justice, his interim shall be assumed by the President of the Constitutional Court who shall exercise all the duties of President of the Republic with the exception of those mentioned in Articles 54 paragraph 3, 58, 60, 101 and 154. In case of absence from the territory, of illness and of vacation of the President of the Republic, his interim shall be assumed by a member of the Government whom he shall have designated and within the limitation of powers that he shall have delegated to him.

List of officeholders

Latest election

References

External links

1990 Constitution of Benin
{{Heads of state and government of Africa 1960 establishments in the Republic of Dahomey Government of Benin