Benin: The Democrats will participate in the legislative after the decision of the Constitutional Court
The Constitutional Court of Benin in Cotonou on July 4, 2021. © Wikimedia Commons CC BY SA 4.0 Azogbonon
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The Democrats party will be able to participate for the first time in an election organized by the Talon government.
Following the invalidation of her list on Wednesday, she seized the Constitutional Court which agreed with her.
The wise men order the CENA to accept a revised list of the party to which four tax certificates were lacking and cost elimination.
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With our correspondent in Cotonou,
Jean-Luc Aplogan
The courtroom was full, almost the entire political bureau of the party was present.
All that was missing was Boni Yayi, its honorary president.
At the hearing, the president of the Democrats, Éric Houndété, recounted the adventures of the candidates of his party to
obtain the tax clearance
.
He accused the tax administration of having violated the texts.
For his part, the director of taxes swears to have treated all the candidates according to the rules of the art and without discrimination.
For the Court, given the chronology of the facts, the lack of discharge is not the fault of the opponents.
The Court orders the Cena to accept the revamped list of the party, already proposed Tuesday, which replaces only the four candidates without tax clearance.
The sages used this formula: "
prescription does not run against the one who could not act
"
.
Relief
Big relief on the faces on reading the judgment, the militants of the party sing the national anthem for a few seconds before heading towards their leader to congratulate them.
Among them, Basile Ahossi, one of the vice-presidents of the Democrats: “
The news is good.
I believe that the Court has put things in their place, and I welcome that.
It's good for social relaxation in the country.
We will contact the Cena tomorrow.
His judgment enchants Tigri Alassane, member of the party's political bureau: "
The law has been said, the law was on the side of the weakest, and the Les Démocrates party is now founded to go to the legislative elections of January 8, 2023.
"
Many seek to understand what could have militated in favor of the repechage of this party?
Me Yaya Pognon, lawyer for the party, tries this answer: “
I am not sure that it was only our observations that determined the Court.
It is a set of elements, especially circumstances which must have determined the Court.
»
Wilfried Hougbedji, government spokesperson, reacted in these terms: “
In Benin, the opposition which has always vilified the institutions can seize the Constitutional Court and win its case against a public administration
”.
The electoral commission validated six other lists on Wednesday, four of which support President Patrice Talon and two claiming to be from the opposition.
In the last legislative elections, in 2019, the opposition was absent from the ballot.
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