Benin – Electoral code revision: the government won’t bow to pressure
President Patrice Talon’s administration has made it clear: it does not intend to yield to mounting pressure regarding a revision of the electoral code. This was the key message delivered by Deputy Secretary-General and government spokesperson Léandre Wilfried Houngbédji during a press briefing held on May 23.
Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji, Government Spokesperson
Speaking to members of the media, Houngbédji responded to the opposition’s repeated calls for a review of the current electoral legislation. According to him, such a demand will not be met. “There is no issue with the electoral code currently in force,” he said.
Addressing concerns about the 20% electoral threshold per constituency, the former journalist expressed surprise that parties claiming to be the most influential are now worried. “Whether one fears not reaching the 20% threshold is a different discussion,” he stated, pointing out the apparent contradiction in the behavior of some political actors.
“In principle, if there is one political party that should be pleased, it is the one that has always claimed to be the biggest, the strongest,” he added, in a clear reference to the opposition party Les Démocrates.
For the government spokesperson, the 20% requirement is an opportunity for each party to demonstrate its strength and relevance. He insists that the current electoral code offers a fair challenge to all political formations, placing them on equal footing.
“The stakes are clear,” he concluded. “Some have already understood this and are taking action on the ground, while others remain stuck in protest and risk being overtaken by events.”