Political newcomer in lead in first round of presidential poll

Boni Yayi, a former banker making a maiden bid for political office, has won the first round of Benin’s presidential elections, according to provisional results released on Monday.

Yayi, who ran for the 5 March poll as an independent candidate backed by a coalition of groups and parties, won 35.6 percent of the vote, the National Election Commission (CENA) said late on Monday after counting 96.39 percent of the votes.

The result puts him well ahead of runner-up Adrien Houngbedji with 24.23 percent, but short of the more than 50 percent needed for an outright win. That means that under Benin law there will be a second round run-off vote between the 54-year-old Yayi and Houngbedji, a lawyer and veteran politician of 64 who heads the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD).

Yayi, who last month resigned from his job as chairman of the Togo-based West African Development Bank (BOAD) to run for the presidency, also edged out veteran political leader Bruno Amoussou, who garnered 16.52 percent of the vote. Lehady Soglo of the Renaissance Party trailed in fourth place with 8.54 percent.