Benin: Constitutional Court holds a workshop for introspection and evaluation of the 2019–2023 elections
The Constitutional Court of Benin met in a workshop on Monday, September 15 in Agoué (commune of Grand-Popo) for an exercise in self-examination. The workshop’s official objective is to draw lessons from the 2019 legislative elections, the 2021 presidential election and the 2023 legislative elections in order to strengthen the transparency, regularity and credibility of the electoral process ahead of 2026.
SUMMARY
But behind the veneer of these noble intentions, some voices are worried: will this look back at past events be concrete enough to prevent the same abuses from repeating?
Chaired by Professor Cossi Dorothé Sossa, the workshop brings together the advisers and staff of the high court in a setting to evaluate previous activity reports.
In his opening remarks, the president praised the efforts made but also acknowledged the practical, organizational, legal and material difficulties that marred previous electoral consultations. “A lawyer who says yes to everything is not a lawyer,” he said, stressing that constructive criticism is essential.
Review of disputes: the same problems persist
The first presentation dealt with the “General framework of electoral disputes,” delivered by the Director of Research and Documentation, Latif Sidi.
It highlighted five main recurring types of disputes: voter registration, candidacies, election campaigning, conduct of the vote, and contesting the results. According to participants, these are all areas where handling often lacked clarity or consistency.
Another presentation, on the “computerized processing of electoral data” given by Christian Agonvidé and an expert, Corentin Adjovi, emphasized the ongoing risks of falsification, hacking or simply software errors. The finding: the digital tools adopted so far are imperfect, security is incomplete, there is a lack of technical mastery, and verification procedures are insufficient.
Between hope and skepticism
This seminar is a first good symbolic initiative. The Court appears aware that it cannot be content to rule after elections have passed, but must act proactively.
The Secretary General, Romuald Iròtori, insisted on the need to analyze solutions already tried, anticipate future obstacles, and formulate solid recommendations.
But skepticism persists. Many fear that behind the introspection are conventional speeches, doctored reports, and a lack of political will to correct the structural weaknesses that open the door to disputes.
Previous disputes have not always led to noticeable effects: complaints left unaddressed, barely visible sanctions, delays, and even a lack of transparency in the publication of results and decisions.
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