The UTRD was established in 1991 to support presidential candidate Nicéphore Soglo, and initially consisted of the Democratic Union of the Forces of Progress (UDFP), the Movement for Democracy and Social Progress (MDPS) and the Union for Liberty and Development (ULD).[1] It won 12 seats in the 1991 parliamentary election, emerging as the largest faction in the 64-seat National Assembly.[2] Soglo went on to win the presidential elections in March, beating Mathieu Kérékou in a runoff.