Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 30 March 1999 (next to be held NA March 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RB 27, PRD 11, FARD-ALAFIA 10, PSD 9, MADEP 6, E'toile 4, Alliance IPD 4, Car-DUNYA 3, MERCI 2, other 7
Judicial branch: Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle;
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice
Political parties and leaders: African Movement for Democracy and
Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Alliance for Democracy and
Progress or ADP [Sylvain Adekpedjou AKINDES]; Alliance of the Social
Democratic Party or PSD and the National Union for Solidarity and
Progress or UNSP [Bruno AMOUSSOU]; Cameleon Alliance or AC [leader
NA]; Car-DUNYA [Saka SALEY]; Communist Party of Benin or PCB [Pascal
FANTONDJI, first secretary]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien
HOUNGBEDJI]; Front for Renewal and Development or FARD-ALAFIA
[Jerome Sakia KINA]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD
[Bertin BORNA]; Liberal Democrats' Rally for National
Reconstruction-Vivoten or RDL-Vivoten [Severin ADJOVI]; Movement for
Citizens' Commitment and Awakening or MERCI [Severin ADJOVI]; New
Generation for the Republic or NGR [Paul DOSSOU]; Our Common Cause
or NCC [Francois Odjo TANKPINON]; Party Democratique du Benin or PDB
[Col. Soule DANKORO]; Rally for Democracy and Pan-Africanism or RDP
[Dominique HOYMINOU, Dr. Giles Auguste MINONTIN]; Renaissance Party
du Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance
E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]; Union for National Democracy and Solidarity
or UDS [Adamou N'Diaye MAMA]
note: the Coalition of Democratic Forces is an alliance of parties and organizations supporting President KEREKOU [Gatien HOUNGBEDJI]
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA,
ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIPONUH, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNTAET, UPU, WADB, WADB (regional),
WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Lucien Edgar TONOUKOUIN
chancery: 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008