Constitutional revision in Benin: Patrice Talon stands by and defends his position
President Patrice Talon gave a media interview on the evening of Tuesday, November 4, on national political affairs.
In the interview granted to national television, President Patrice Talon clearly stated his support for the proposed constitutional revision bill establishing the Senate. The head of state justified the relevance of this institutional reform by the ongoing political competition that hinders development efforts.
For Patrice Talon, politics should not become a permanent adversarial struggle at the expense of national development. He says he is, unfortunately, a victim of this. He accuses his predecessor of having done everything to thwart his reforms.
“Since 2016, my predecessor Boni Yayi has been working with great energy to thwart all reforms, whatever they may be; and public action in any sector.“, Patrice Talon.
It is not right to turn politics into a constant adversary to the point of preventing development, President Talon said, before adding:
“I am at the end of my term, and it would be regrettable if I did nothing to change things.”Thus, without claiming to be the initiator of the constitutional revision bill, he positions himself as a patron of this proposal, which he sees as the solution to the paralyzing political competition.
In a tone both firm and introspective, the president even mentioned the possibility of Parliament passing a law excluding Boni Yayi and himself from the political scene, saying that their prolonged presence now constitutes a problem for the country.
For Patrice Talon, this constitutional revision aims to defuse recurring political tensions and to ensure that electoral competition no longer blocks Benin’s development.
The bill, carried by deputies Aké Natondé and Assan Séïbou, will be examined in the coming days by the National Assembly, in a political climate that is being closely watched.
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