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Benin Republic set to review Constitution on terms of Political Office.



In a year when many countries on the continent and in West Africa are changing their constitutions to allow for incumbent presidents to run yet again, the Beninese National Assembly has approved a major constitutional reform to discuss the precision on the two terms of office of the President of the Republic among other issues.

Detailing the political situation of Benin at the floor of the ECOWAS Parliament, the country report presented contained that the constitutions review was to address the current political situation of the country marking a new Republic following two unsuccessful attempts.

The report stated that “Benin Republic has after the April 2019 Legislative elections experienced a tense atmosphere following the frustrating feelings from political group who were unable to participate in the legislative elections, due to the inability to meet the requirement on the law on the constitution of political parties and elections process”.

“Following the pressure from the population, the review is required to set respected term limits of the terms of office of the President of the Republic, this development is allowing for Political and democratic change, where no citizen in his or life must hold more than two terms of office” it added.

“West African countries over time has more often witnessed presidents that tend to undermine the aspirations of their cabinet and government members creating a leadership vacuum around them, which generally paves the way for them changing the constitution to run again, this reform however, will help set a better pace” it stated.

Making more clarification on the reforms, Hon. Youssoufou Bida said, “Benin currently operate a five year per tenure system, this constitutional review which will be undertaken is not a review that have undertaken too many comments like other countries, what was done was on a consensus basis, this reform was to enhance stability, which will enable us to concentrate on development issues”, he said.   

The report highlighted “The revision of the number of seats of MPs of the National Assembly from 83 to 109, for a population of nearly 14 million; the improvement of women representation in the Assembly; The limitation of the number of mandates of MPs to no more than 3; The creation of the office of a Vice President of the Republic position” as other issues to be visited in the review.  

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