COTONOU, Jumada II 11, 1437, Mar 20, 2016, SPA -- Voters in Benin cast ballots on Sunday in a run-off election that pitted outgoing President Thomas Boni Yayi's hand-picked successor against his former ally turned political rival in a highly competitive race, AP reported. Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou, a former economist and investment banker backed by both Boni Yayi and the main opposition Democratic Renewal Party, won a March 6 first round of voting with 28.4 percent of ballots. He faces Patrice Talon, a businessman and powerful figure in the West African nation's cornerstone cotton sector, who garnered 24.8 percent of first-round votes. --SPA 14:36 LOCAL TIME 11:36 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w