Highlights: Benin: appeals against the new electoral code are increasing. The electoral code, modified a week ago in Benin by the deputies of the ruling majority, arouses a lot of criticism. After the denunciations which qualify the code as an “exclusionary text”, three appeals are before the judges of the court. Two from the opposition party, The Democrats, and one filed by a group of lawyers. The law has not yet been promulgated, because appeals are suspending its promulgation.

The electoral code, modified a week ago in Benin by the deputies of the ruling majority, arouses a lot of criticism. After the denunciations which qualify the code as an “exclusionary text”,…

Benin: appeals against the new electoral code are increasing

The electoral code, modified a week ago in Benin by the deputies of the ruling majority, arouses a lot of criticism.

After the denunciations which qualify the code as an “

exclusionary text

”, three appeals are before the judges of the court: two from the opposition party, The Democrats, and one filed by a group of lawyers.

A view of Cotonou, the capital of Benin.

(Illustrative image) © Salako Valentin / AP

By: RFI Follow

With our correspondent in Cotonou,

Jean-Luc Aplogan

In Benin

, the three appeals filed ask to declare the modified electoral code “

contrary to the Constitution

”.

A group of sixteen lawyers first filed the first appeal.

Landry Angelo Adélakou belongs to this group, he explains that the provision on sponsorships violates the fundamental law.

For this, he refers to a judgment previously rendered by the same Constitutional Court.

“

The act of sponsorship is a unilateral commitment to support a candidate in the election of the President of the Republic, and elected officials have the freedom to grant sponsorship to the candidates of their choice

,” he quotes.

Two appeals filed by the Democrats party

Monday March 11, the Democrats party

filed two other appeals

First anomaly noted by Guy Mitokpè, in charge of party communications: the majority deputies did what the Court did not ask them to do.

“

The Court had asked the National Assembly to restore equality of power to sponsor.
Except that the majority, by going beyond this provision, violates the authority of res judicata.
Another reason, we are now talking about the governance coalition, and for us it is a violation of the Constitution which prohibits political alliances

,” reports Guy Mitokpè.

The other opposition party, the FCBE, believes that the amended code worsens exclusion.

The law has not yet been promulgated, because appeals are suspending its promulgation.

As the former president of the Constitutional Court Robert Dossou explains, we must now wait for the examination of the appeals and the decision of the Wise Men.

Read alsoBenin: after the rejection of the constitutional revision, the relief of opponents

Benin: appeals against the new electoral code are increasing

Benin: appeals against the new electoral code are increasing

Two appeals filed by the Democrats party

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