Benin’s parliament approved a constitutional change that would extend the term of office for presidents and lawmakers from five to seven years, and would also create a new legislative body consisting of former heads of state and others appointed by the president. The reform would allow President Patrice Talon, whose second and final term is set to end in April, to retain significant influence over the country after he leaves office, opposition lawmakers said.
As Chris Olaoluwa Ògúnmọ́dẹdé wrote in WPR in 2023, Benin was once regarded as a beacon of democracy in West Africa, but the country has experienced authoritarian drift under Talon. Since becoming president in 2016, he has introduced a number of reforms to state functions under the guise of improving the economy and attracting foreign investment. However, these reforms are now regarded by many Beninese “as a smokescreen for weakening institutional checks and balances and restricting civil liberties and political freedoms,” Ògúnmọ́dẹdé wrote.
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