At the heart of recent political events in Benin, the “Democrats” have gathered in Parakou for a decisive congress. Noureinou Atchadé was named second vice-president of the party, therefore consolidating the structure of this pillar of the Benin political opposition. At the same time, Éric Houndété, who was chairing the party until now, took a step aside becoming the first vice-president.
Yayi takes the lead of the party
Boni Yayi, former President of the Republic (2006-2016) and honorary president of the Democrats since 2020, has been designated to take the reins of the party. The move marks a turning point for the opposition, as Yayi is now positioned to become the leader of Benin’s opposition. This transition highlights the political evolution of the opposition, stressing the importance of leadership and continuity.
However, Boni Yayi’s rise to opposition leader requires official recognition. According to Benin law, the President of the Republic, in this case Patrice Talon, must issue a decree of appointment for this position to be officially effective. An expected administrative formality, which reinforces the legitimacy of the position.
The criterium for becoming the opposition leader are clearly defined in Beninese law. According to section 8 paragraph 1 of the Law N° 2019-45 of 25 novembre 2019 on the Opposition Status, this role is assigned to the leader of the opposition party with the greatest number of lawmakers in the National Assembly following the last parliamentary elections. The Democrats, having won 28 seats in the January 2023 legislative elections, is the only opposition party represented in the Assembly, placing Boni Yayi in pole position for this role.
However, the nomination process does not end there. As stipulated in section 8, paragraph 5,the appointment order of the Opposition Leader is made in the Council of Ministers, on a proposal from the Electoral Board of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENA). Therefore Benin impatiently awaits President Talon’s decision, which will officially seal Boni Yayi’s status within the opposition.
The Nominations Commission established by the Congress met on October 15, 2023 to propose a new National Coordinating Committee. The said committee is composed as follows:
President: Alassani TIGRI:
Vice-President: Saliou AKADIRI;
Rapporteur: Christophe Bon! MONSIA
Rapporteur: Françols TCHOKA FANIKOUA
Secretary: Francis AMOUSSOU
Source: La Nouvelle Tribune
