World IN BRIEF : BENIN : Ex-Dictator Officially Declared President
From Times Wire Reports
The constitutional court officially named former dictator Mathieu Kerekou the winner of Benin’s presidential election, rejecting the incumbent’s claims of victory. Ending a week of squabbling, the court said Kerekou won the March 18 runoff with 52.49% of the vote while President Nicephore Soglo received 47.51%. The outcome is an embarrassment to Soglo, who lost to a man accused of destroying the West African nation’s economy and abusing opponents during his 18-year reign.
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