COTONOU, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Vote counting began across Benin on Sunday after polling stations closed in the country's combined legislative and municipal elections.
Polling stations opened nationwide at around 7:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT). In line with Benin's newly enacted Electoral Code, voting lasted 10 hours from the opening of each polling station.
In several districts of Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin, and other parts of the country, Xinhua reporters observed that polling staff started counting ballots immediately after voting ended at around 5:00 p.m. local time, before transmitting provisional results to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
According to national radio, voting proceeded peacefully throughout the day, with no major incidents reported and strong voter turnout recorded in some areas.
Voters cast their ballots under the observation of delegations from the Economic Community of West African States, Beninese civil society organizations, and representatives of political parties contesting the elections.
Nearly 7.8 million registered voters, spread across more than 17,000 polling stations, took part in the polls to elect 109 members of the National Assembly for the next legislature and 1,815 municipal and communal councilors. ■