Communales 2026: at the CENA, the wait for the first candidate filings continues
Time is running out at the National Autonomous Electoral Commission (CENA). Since the official launch of candidate submissions for the communal elections of January 11, 2026, on Friday, October 24, no political party has yet taken the plunge.
CENA du Bénin
This Tuesday, the last day for submissions, the countdown has begun. At midnight, the CENA portal will close.
Yet the head of the institution, Sacca Lafia, had urged political parties to plan ahead to avoid “the last-minute rush.” But on the ground, caution prevails.
The registration process is dauntingly demanding: each party must submit lists covering the country’s 546 districts, which amounts to nearly 3,630 complete application files for primary and substitute candidates. The slightest mistake, the smallest missing document, and the entire list risks being invalidated.
At party headquarters, activity is feverish. Teams are fine-tuning the files, checking signatures, cross-checking documents, and fixing the last clerical errors.