COTONOU, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Romuald Wadagni, elected president of the Republic of Benin following the April 12 poll, will be sworn in to his constitutional duties on May 24, the president of Benin's Constitutional Court, Dorothe Sossa, announced Thursday at a special plenary session for the proclamation of the final presidential election results.
According to the head of the country's highest court in electoral matters, no challenges were filed with the court's registry within five days following the announcement of the provisional first-round results, which gave a landslide victory to the ticket of Wadagni and his running mate Mariam Chabi Talata.
As a result, he said, Wadagni is definitively elected president of the Republic for a constitutional term of seven years, renewable once. His running mate, Mariam Chabi Talata, has been elected vice president.
In accordance with the provisions of Benin's Constitution, before taking office, the president-elect must take the oath of office before the National Assembly and the Supreme Court, under the authority of the president of the Constitutional Court.
In Benin, the president of the Republic serves as both head of state and head of government. In this capacity, he embodies the executive branch, determines national policy, ensures national security as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, appoints members of the government, promulgates laws, and ensures the proper functioning of public institutions. ■