The second round of Benin's disputed presidential election will be held on Thursday in the absence of the first-round runner-up, Justice Minister Joseph Gnonlonfoun told AFP Sunday.
The vote, which was to have been held Sunday, was postponed because of the last-minute withdrawal of former head of state Nicephore Soglo over vote-rigging claims.
The second round was to have pitted Soglo against incumbent President Mathieu Kerekou, who secured a clear lead in the first round on March 4.
Kerekou scored 45.42 against 27.12 percent for Soglo, according to the Constitutional Court.
In pulling out Friday, Soglo described the poll as a "masquerade", but the Constitutional Court rejected his demand that the first-round results be scrapped.
The candidate who came in third with 12.6 percent on March 4, parliament speaker Adrien Houngbeji, said he would reveal later Sunday whether he will stand in the second-round runoff on Thursday, replacing Soglo.
"I should benefit from conditions present for any candidate in whatever democratic system," he told AFP.
"The question of electoral lists, which was at the root of (Soglo's) withdrawal, must be resolved," he added – COTONOU (AFP)
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