Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Mathieu KEREKOU
(since 4 April 1996) was elected for a five-year term by popular
vote; election last held 18 March 1996 (next to be held March 2001);
results - Mathieu KEREKOU 52.49%, Nicephore SOGLO 47.51%
cabinet: Executive Council, appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale): elections last held 28
March 1995 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party
NA; seats - (83 total) Renaissance Party and allies 20, PRD 19,
FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 7, NCC 3, RDL-VIVOTEN 3, Communist Party 2,
Alliance Chameleon 1, RDP 1, ADP 1, other 16
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
Political parties and leaders: as of February 1996, more than 80 political parties were officially recognized; the following are represented in the National Assembly: Alliance of the National Party for Democracy and Development (PNDD) and the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD), Pascal Chabi KAO; Action for Renewal and Development (FARD-ALAFIA), Mathieu KEREKOU; Alliance of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Union for Solidarity and Progress (UNSP), Bruno AMOUSSOU; Alliance Chameleon; Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP), Adekpedjon AKINDES; Alliance for Social Democracy (ASD), Robert DOSSOU; Assembly of Liberal Democrats for National Reconstruction (RDL), Severin ADJOVI; Communist Party of Benin, Pascal FATONDJI, First Secretary; Our Common Cause (NCC), Albert TEVOEDJRE; Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP); The Renaissance Party, Nicephore SOGLO
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, ECA,
ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM,
OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIH, UPU, WADB, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lucien Edgar TONOUKOUIN
chancery: 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656, 6657, 6658
FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador John M. YATES embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou mailing address: B. P. 2012, Cotonou telephone: [229] 30-06-50, 30-05-13, 30-17-92 FAX: [229] 30-14-39, 30-19-74
Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a
vertical green band on the hoist side