Yayi Boni

Thomas Boni Yayi (* 1952 in Tchaourou, Benin ) is an economist and as of 2006 the current President of Benin. From 2012 to 2013 he was chairman of the African Union. He is committed to Protestantism.

Life

Boni Yayi was, in the northeastern department of Borgou, at that time, was born in Dahomey Tchaourou as part of the colony of French West Africa. His education was Yayi in the capital of the region Parakou, and later at the National University of Benin. At the University of Dakar ( Senegal), he received a diploma in banking with a focus on finance. He then studied at the University of Orléans in France, where he graduated in 1986. In 1991 he received his doctorate from the University of Paris -Dauphine in economics.

From 1980 to 1988 Yayi worked at the Central Bank of West African States ( BCEAO ) in Dakar, where he rose to deputy director. He then joined as deputy director of development for the West African Central Bank of studies (Dakar ). From 1992 to 1994 he worked in the office as a technical advisor to the President of Benin Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo where he was responsible for monetary and banking policy.

In 1994, he became president of the West African Development Bank ( BOAD ). For his services to the West African development he was appointed a Knight of the French Ordre National du Mérite.

In the presidential elections in 2006 Boni Yayi entered as an independent candidate. Yayi made ​​use of his position as an outsider and based its political program on the fight against corruption. The incumbent president, Mathieu Kérékou was to participate in the election is not entitled, as he had passed the age limit of 70 years. In the first round on March 5, Yayi won with 32 % of the votes, the most among the 26 candidates. On his greatest political opponents, Adrien Houngbedji of the Party of Democratic Renewal, accounted for only 25 % of the vote. In the second ballot on 19 March Boni won with nearly 75 % of the votes cast. On April 6, Yayi went to the office of President.

2011 Boni Yayi was re-elected with 53.13 % of votes in the first ballot. The result of the poll, however, was doubted by Adrien Houngbedji, who received 35.64 % of votes. Houngbedji accused Boni Yayi election fraud and refused to accept that result. Prior to the election had been postponed twice, after the opposition had complained that hundreds of thousands of names were not indicated on the voter lists.

End of January 2012 Yayi was elected Chairman of the African Union. The Presidency is mainly associated with representative activities and changes every year between the Heads of State and Government of the 54 Member States of the African Union. On 27 January 2013, the Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn was elected as Yayis successor as Chairman of the AU.