By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has deployed forty observers to monitor the January 8, 2023, Legislative Elections in Benin Republic.
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Aliue Tourney approved the deployment of forty short-term election observers (STOs) to Benin to support and monitor the entire electoral process.
The observers were deployed today, January 6, 2023, in Cotonou, Republic of Benin to the capitals of the twelve (12) Regions of the country.
The Observers are drawn from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of ECOWAS Member States, Electoral Commissions, the ECOWAS Council of the Wise, the ECOWAS Parliament, the ECOWAS Community Court of justice, Civil Society Organisations, the media, and election experts from the region.
Resident Representative of the President of the ECOWAS Commission to the Republic of Benin, Amb. Amadou Diongue in a briefing explained that ECOWAS electoral support to Member states is a mandate of the Commission on democracy and good governance and the commitment of governments in the region during elections.
Amb. Diongue assured that ECOWAS was backing the observers and charged them on the success as they depart to the field.
Head of the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission to the Legislative Election in Benin, H.E. Raimundo Pereira, stated that the presence of the observers is very significant to the electoral process, adding that their Mission in Benin is to ensure a transparent, peaceful and inclusive election.
