ct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 30 March 2003 (next to be held 25 March 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
Presidential Movement (UBF, MADEP, FC, Alliance MDC-PC-CPP, IPD,
AFP, MDS, RDP) 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small
parties) 31

Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or
Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice

Political parties and leaders:
Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; African Movement for Democracy
and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Democratic Renewal Party or
PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD;
Key Force or FC; Movement for Development and Solidarity or MDS;
Movement for Development by the Culture-Salute Party-Congress of
People for Progress Alliance or Alliance MDC-PS-CPP; New Alliance or
NA; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP; Renaissance Party du
Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile)
[Sacca LAFIA]; Union of Tomorrow's Benin or UBF [Bruno AMOUSSOU]
note: approximately 20 additional minor parties

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA,
MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL,
UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN
chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656
FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Gayleatha B. BROWN
embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou
mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou
telephone: [229] 30-06-50
FAX: [229] 30-06-70

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a
vertical green band on the hoist side

Economy Benin

Economy - overview:
The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on
subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade.
Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past six years,
but rapid population growth has offset much of