By Virgile Ahissou
Cotonou, Benin - The tiny West African nation of Benin chooses a new leader Sunday in a wide open presidential race taking place for the first time in more than three decades without the country's two most powerful politicians.
Seventy-three-year-old former coup leader Mathieu Kerekou and his longtime opposition rival, 72-year-old Nicephore Soglo, have dominated politics and swapped Benin's presidency since the 1970s. Both are ineligible to run this time - excluded from the race by the constitution, which bars candidates over the age of 70 from running.
In their place: a field of 26 hopefuls, no heir apparent, and an impoverished country praying a fresh face will ease unemployment and breathe new life into a sputtering agricultural-based economy.
"We're going to see real change with the departure of these two dinosaurs, Soglo and Kerekou," said law student Simplice Gogan.
He may be right. What is clear is that any positive transformation will require momentous effort.
The United Nations ranks the country at the bottom of its quality of life Human Development Index - 161th out of 177 nations surveyed. Only 40 percent of Benin's adults are literate and only about half of school-aged children are enrolled in school. Per capita income is about $3 (about R18,50) a day.
Among the top candidates: Soglo's son, Lehadi Soglo; former prime minister Adrien Houngbedji, who placed a distant third in the last two presidential votes; former national assembly president Bruno Amoussou, who was previously Kerekou's minister of state; and former head of the West African Development Bank Yayi Boni.
Two women are also running: Marie Elise Gbedo, a lawyer who tried for the presidency in 2001, and Celestine Zanou, a former top aide to Kerekou.
About four million of Benin's nearly seven million people are registered. Turnout is expected to be higher than in previous ballots, which were effectively two-way races between Kerekou and Soglo.
"I had not been used to voting, but this time I got my voter card and campaigned for my candidate," said Ayaba Houndeton. She declined to say who she was backing.
Kerekou took power in a this former French colony in a 1972 coup, leading a Marxist regime for nearly two decades.
After the end of the Cold War, Kerekou oversaw West Africa's first peaceful and democratic transfer of power in 1991, holding elections and losing to Soglo. Kerekou won the office back five years later, and emerged victorious again in the last presidential ballot in 2001, which the opposition charged was fraudulent.
That Benin's constitution is keeping Kerekou and Soglo out is noteworthy. The constitutions of other African nations - including Uganda and Gabon - have been changed to allow sitting heads of states to run for extra terms.
Uganda's Yoweri Museveni was declared victor in elections last month, while Gabon's Omar Bongo won another seven-year term in November. Bongo is Africa's longest-serving leader, a reign second in length worldwide only to Cuba's Fidel Castro.
Campaigning for Benin's poll wrapped up Friday at midnight. Candidates have promised to improve governance, reduce unemployment and step up cotton production.
The victor must win at least 50 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff. If there is no clear victor, the runoff will take place 15 days after final results from the first round are announced. - Sapa-AP