Benin's President Faces More Opposition Two Years On

"Criticism is useful for democracy," he said.  "There is no democracy without differences of opinion.  The problem is, what else do they propose?  They should not just criticize, but they should also propose alternative ways of doing it.  So we have a stable democracy in Benin and we hope that the opponents will join hands together with other ideas. We are open."

President Yayi has three more years in power, but his supporters from the coalition known by its French acronym FCBE (Force Cauris pour un Benin Emergent) which in English means the Seashell's Strength for an Emerging Benin, face a test during local elections scheduled for April 20.