stakeholders of all political shades(election winners and losers) have had to denounce the unreliable nature of the electoral list during almost all past elections. Main points of contention have been the suffrage of minors and foreigners, especially those living in the border region of the neighbouring countries. The doubtful quality of the electoral list in Benin is essentially the outcome of four factors: a. The electoral commission(ANEC) is not only of an ad hoc nature but was in most cases established after the legally determined deadline. Consequently: · Electoral officers, especially censor agents, are systematically insufficiently prepared; · The process of establishing the electoral list is done within a short timeframe and often improvised; · The list is established on an annual basis and is not computerised, exposing it to manipulation; b. The mechanisms provided for guaranteeing the quality of the electoral list does not function in most of the cases: · It is often impossible to respect the legal timeframe needed for registration and amendments; · Mechanisms for the self-monitoring of the electorate do not function- for example, members of the censoring team are designated by political parties and the 172