Elections coming....

Campaigns are in full tilt. In a day or so I will post a few pictures about how colorful it is getting. People dancing in the streets, music on buses all over the city, horns and all sorts of calamity.

The dynamics are very interesting. There are 26 candidates about 5 leaders. One of the leading candidates, Yayi Boni is a "Santos" coming out of nowhere and rushing to the lead. He has totally upset the apple cart. All the others have run at least 4 times and according to the way things have gone in the past, there is a pecking order -- this guy has never run before and has risen to the top.

A former director of several prominate banks, he preaches fiscal responsability and running the country like a business. A Ross Perot of sorts. He comes from the North, as have the last few presidents, which is a mark against him. People here vote from people from their region. So, this guy has a mountain to climb in reaching the southern vote -- but from what I see, he's getting the job done.

Among the other candidates are two sets of brothers from two prominate families. Each of them (and family members) have long served in the government. They are Kennedies and Bushes if you will. Same old same old, so people are tired of them. However, they feel that now that the current president is stepping down, they have paid their dues and it is their time.

On top of that, Benin has an age limit for presidency (not a bad idea). So one of the guys, if he doesn't get in this time won't be able to run again.

Another leading candidate is one of the richest men in Benin, who served as minister of finance, without taking salary -- to help the country. People know, however, that he is likely to use presidency to cut deals, etc etc.

Finally, there is a woman who preaches not feminism, but women's rights. Her platform of course is it's time for a woman to be president. She has, rightly, a large part of the female vote.

So that's Benin presidential trail 2006. Elections are this coming weekend. Pictures are to follow.