I am currently on the road in North Carolina where I am spending ten days or so on a travel grant from the John Hope Franklin Research Center at Duke University (though I am spending the weekend at my old stomping grounds in Charlotte.) Thus posting may be light for a while.
However, you may have noticed (or you may not, as events in the Maghreb have sucked all of the oxygen out of the room, starving the rest of the continent of the air of media coverage) that Benin has begun elections. The polling had twice been put off because of irregularities with the voter rolls — rarely a promising sign. Polls have so far only opened intermittently — in parts of the country voting is not yet open. Whether this is part of a planned rollout strategy or capriciousness or incompetence is unclear. But the voting is supposed to be a one-day affair, so this too can be seen as foreboding.
President Boni Yayi is seeking a second term in office. His main opposition is Adrien Houngbedji, who enjoys the support of much of Benin’s political elites with a third major candidate, Abdoulaye Bio Tchane, who could help force a run-off vote next week if no one garners 50% of the vote.
