COTONOU — The people of Benin voted on Sunday for a new parliament but without a single opposition candidate to choose from, as rights groups warn of a crackdown in a country once seen as a model for democracy.

When polls opened at 7:00am (0600 GMT), voters in the small West African state were given the choice to select their 83 members of parliament from two parties both allied to President Patrice Talon.

In the run-up to polling, protests have been broken up by force. Late on Saturday, some roads were blocked by angry demonstrators in opposition areas.

Internet access was tightly restricted with blocks on the main social media and messaging apps.

Five million people are registered to vote, but on Sunday morning, turnout was slow at voting booths in the economic capital Cotonou.

The main opposition parties, unable to field candidates, have asked their supporters to boycott the polls.

But Jacques Noutais, from the Electoral Commission, said the streets were quiet at the start of voting because people were at "Sunday church services".

Those who voted encouraged others to follow.

"All is well," said Edith Avodagbe, a woman who had just voted. "I would like to ask my compatriots to come and do their duty by voting for the candidate of their choice."

That choice, however, is limited.

Election watchdogs ruled last month that only the two parties allied to Talon — the Republicans and Progressive Union — met toughened conditions of admissibility under new electoral laws.

Their decision effectively barred the entire political opposition from fielding candidates.

People say they are "stunned" and "shocked" by the situation, but blanket bans on demonstrations ahead of voting has kept people off the streets.

Even after two ex-presidents, Nicephorus Soglo and Thomas Boni Yayi, urged people to take to the streets to protest, there was little response.

"The wave of arbitrary arrests of political activists and journalists, and the crackdown on peaceful protests, have reached an alarming level," Amnesty International researcher Francois Patuel said, speaking ahead of the polls.

Before 1991, Benin struggled under decades of authoritarian rule. The transition to democracy brought a flowering of political competition — five years ago, voters could chose from 20 parties for the 83 seats in parliament.

Talon, elected in 2016, portrays himself as reformer and modernist. He has defended the electoral code, saying it would bring together the scores of political parties — more than 250 parties in a country of some 12 million people — into simpler blocs. — AFP