Call for Talon's third term : It's inappropriate

Patrice Talon does not want to stay in power as President of the Republic of Benin. The man always said, repeats and repeats whenever the opportunity arises. But obviously some Beninese seem to be rowing against the tide. They call and force the current tenant of the Palais de la Marina to change his logic, against his will and that of the people.

Like the waves of the sea, the unconstitutional extension of power returns with insistence towards the end of the last mandate of many African heads of state. Like in Senegal, in Ivory Coast and further afield in Togo, neighboring country, the idea agitates the opinion. In Benin, this is also the case. Patrice Talon completes his second and final term in April 2026. And three years from this deadline, voices are raised to call on him to stay in power. They call on him to break the neck of the fundamental law of Benin adopted on 11 December 1990 and revised in November 2019. Even though it is mentioned in the article 47 of the new mount: " Never, no one can, to live, serve more than two terms as President of the Republic”, some venture to push him to commit the irreparable. In addition to being aberrant or even disrespectful of the person of the Head of State, these calls for a third term are inappropriate analyze many people.

Even as the people shout at the high cost of living, to the problems of electricity and drinking water requiring more social, the concern of a caste, apparently of privileged people living on the margins of the difficulties of the lower people is relative to an unconstitutional third mandate. It is to be believed that the message sent by the voters with the strong breakthrough of the political opposition to power in certain electoral districts during the legislative elections of 8 January 2023 don't tell them anything. Better, the person concerned, The head of state, never ceased to sing his good faith. In July 2021 on the occasion of the 2nd edition of the West African citizen summit on good governance, alternation and democracy held Cotonou, the Head of State had already set the tone. Guest of honor at this summit which brought together nearly 150 delegates of civil society organizations from ECOWAS countries, the President of the Republic was specific on the subject. “The evidence is clear. Term limits are in all respects for the benefit of the people. I fully associate myself with your action and I undertake before you to defend it., added Patrice Talon.

These statements of good intentions from the tenant of the Palais de la Marina seem not to deter these supporters of retrograde and twisted ideas. If it's a trial balloon. He is already pierced and should no longer have the qualities to bounce back again. It is therefore an indication for the agitators and instigators of this new doctrine to review their copy and change their minds.. We all know that some power thugs have always taken advantage of their proximity to actors in a system to break sugar on the backs of others.. But that doesn't mean they're going to show off with those hideous thoughts. The president of the Republic, SEM Patrice Athanase Guillaume Talon is too mature and more aware of the consequences that will result from the implementation of a 3rd term idea. He will not fall into their trap because, as a Fon saying goes, “The shame of the lizard is also the shame of the caiman”.

Doubting the good faith of the President of the Republic is a peculiarity of Benin society. President Mathieu Kérékou fell victim to this lack of confidence when he promised the nation he would not run for a third term. After him, Yayi Boni also suffered the same fate despite urging his African peers to respect the term limits..

Théodore Holo against a third term

“For having made this kind of statement in Niger to encourage a 3rd term of office for President Mahamoudou Issoufou, two young people from civil society were sentenced to prison terms for inciting a coup”, retorted Theodore Holo, former President of the Constitutional Court to respond to the exit of Me Jacques Migan. This last influential member of one of the parties of the presidential movement who had announced the wish of the people of Benin to see Patrice Talon serve a 3rd term continues to arouse reactions: “The people would like Patrice Talon to continue. The people are only concerned about how to keep Patrice Talon in power so that he can continue the work he started..

Professor Théodore Holo disapproves of the statement of the former president and would like to see a sentence similar to that of the two young Nigerians applied to him because, according to his words, the lawyer encourages the Head of State to orchestrate a coup d'etat in order to afford a 3rd term. « The Tandja case (Ed. former president of Niger) who wanted to revise the Constitution to extend his mandate against the opposition of the Constitutional Court which he dissolved is present in the collective memory in Niger. No one is immortal, it is indecent to think that a President must remain in power to continue the work begun”, did he write.

As a reminder, when in may 2018 two Nigerien civil society actors have called on the president of their country to run for a 3rd term, they were, tried and convicted for conspiring to change the country's constitution. This exemplary reaction should inspire the entire presidential movement in Benin if we want the country to always be considered a model of democracy.. An energetic reaction from the Head of State or the government spokesperson is expected, as was the case when the poster of the President of the Republic was put up at certain intersections.

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