Benin President Boni Yayi's coalition took the lead in last weekend's parliamentary elections, according to official results published Saturday by the Constitutional Court.

According to reports from Cotonou, where the Benin government is based, Yayi's Cauri Forces for an Emerging Benin, won 35 out of 83 seats in the national assembly, followed by the Alliance for Dynamism and Democracy of former president Necephore Soglo with 20 seats.

The Democratic Renewal party led by Adrien Houngbedji came in third place with 10 seats.

Yayi, a former head of the West African Development Bank, was virtual political unknown when he surprisingly won the presidential election in March last year.

Elected with 74 percent of the vote, the president vowed to make economic growth and Launch a fight against corruption in his campaign.

Control of parliament, previously dominated by the political elite which Yayi swept aside in the presidential election, is key to his reforms in the west African nation with a 7.9-million population.

Source: Xinhua