Actualité Posté le 13:58 26-08-2024, modifié le 13:58 26-08-2024 par Tournons La Page
The members of Tournons La Page Bénin (TLP-Bénin) held a General Assembly on the theme: “Democracy and Culture of Peace in Africa: Overview and Perspectives”, on Saturday August 17, 2024 at the headquarters of SOS Civisme NGO, in Abomey-Calavi. During the meeting, our members drew up the Annual Work Plan for the year 2025.
Ensuring democratic consolidation in Benin
In the 2000s, Benin was seen as one of West Africa's leading democratic models. But since the election of Patrice Talon in 2016, Beninese politics have taken an authoritarian turn, marked by a series of arbitrary arrests of political opponents, increased repression of peaceful demonstrations, a revision of the electoral code and an unprecedented concentration of power by the executive. For opposition politicians, the new electoral law, adopted last March, could allow the incumbent president to remain in power beyond the two terms stipulated by the Constitution. In this context, the coordinator of TLP-Benin, Elias Béhanzin, recalled that the Tournons la Page Benin coalition was formed with the aim of defending democratic institutions and guaranteeing the rights of Benin's civil society. “The coalition's main objective is to promote democratic changeover and strengthen the culture of peace through peaceful and non-partisan actions,” he said in his speech.
The coalition's General Secretary, Rock Ahoton, has also declared “the coalition's main mission is to encourage and strengthen citizen action in favor of sustainable democratic processes”.
Call for “a large citizens' alliance” on the African continent
The Tournons La Page coalition in Benin is part of a transnational citizens' movement including 250 organizations among 15 countries around Africa. The representative of the TLP-Togo coordinator, Rodrigue Ahego, called for the formation of a “large citizens' alliance” between TLP coalitions, notably through “joint actions and mobilizations” in several countries, in order to bring together “the necessary conditions for true democracy on the African continent”. The members of TLP-Benin have been working on the 2025 action plan action, with the ambition of undertaking a lasting democratic changeover in Benin. They have worked on a number of axes and reflexions, including the right to greater representation of civil society on the national political scene, a concret policy to reduce socio-economic inequalities through a system of equitable redistribution of wealth. The coalitions are also calling for the separation of powers, the independence of the Constitutional Court and the judicial system. During the meeting, Rodrigue Ahego also deplored “repressive laws to restrict public freedoms, which are on the increase, particularly in West Africa(...) Our people are suffering, the future of our young people is being mortgaged, our women and girls are dying as a result. Regarding the situation, we need more than ever to show solidarity and fraternity, to carry loudly the cry of distress raised by our societies”, said Ahego.
