Constitutional revision in Benin: Sévérin Adjovi warns against institutional drift
After ten years of silence, Sévérin Adjovi, former minister and former mayor of Ouidah, breaks his silence to speak about the constitutional revision project being prepared in Benin.
In a public statement, he says he is speaking « par devoir de vérité et de patriotisme » and warns against the risks this project poses to Beninese democracy.
According to the former minister, this text, presented as a modernization of the institutions, could undermine « the democratic balance painstakingly built since the 1990 National Conference ».
He denounces a concentration of executive power to the detriment of Parliament and a weakening of citizen and judicial oversight, stressing that « a democracy without a balance of powers is nothing but a façade ».
Sévérin Adjovi also draws attention to the partisan motivations that could underlie this revision. « A constitution is not rewritten for one man, one party or one term, but for a people and for the future, » he insists, warning that the current proposal could deepen divisions between institutions and citizens and pave the way for « a lasting institutional drift ».
The former mayor of Ouidah calls for an inclusive and sincere dialogue, inviting political, social and religious forces, civil society and the media to protect the democratic legacy of 1990.
« Our generation has the duty to preserve this legacy so that future generations can still believe in the promise of our Republic », he says.
In conclusion, Sévérin Adjovi calls for a national awakening: « The true greatness of a state is the permanence of its institutions, not the prolongation of a regime. May God bless Benin. Long live our democracy. »
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