Benin report - Institut Africain de la Gouvernance

CHAPTER TWO: HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND CURRENT CHALLENGES__________________________________________________________________________2.2 From independent Dahomey to the National SovereignConference56. The years following independence were marked by great political instability,by a series of coups d‟état and, consequently, by successive changes ingovernment. The country has known two constitutions, four military coupsd‟état, and ten civilian and/or military presidents of the republic or heads ofstate. During this period, no political or military leader held power for morethan three years. To remedy this instability, the military leaders of the timeinstituted a Presidential Council and a „revolving‟ chairmanship involvingthree former heads of state or government: Hubert Maga, Justin TométinAhomadegbé and Sourou Migan Apithy.57. On 26 October 1972, Major Mathieu Kérékou put an end to this anachronisticpolitical system through a military coup, the fifth of its kind in the history ofindependent Benin. From 1974 onwards he introduced Marxist-Leninistinspiredpolicies and in 1975, in order to reduce the political weight of thesouth, the name „Dahomey‟ was symbolically abandoned for that of „Benin‟ –a name inspired by the Bight of Benin (on the Atlantic Ocean), where Cotonouis situated. The name „Bight of Benin‟ itself probably derives from theKingdom of Benin which, in the past, covered part of the country andneighbouring Nigeria.58. Similarly, Kérékou banned voodoo, the traditional religion well entrenched inthe south. A new constitution, instituting a single-party regime (the People‟sRevolution Party of Benin – PRPB), was promulgated in 1977. In the sameyear an attempted coup d‟état, supported by mercenaries, failed. This furtherhardened the regime. Three former presidents, imprisoned in 1972, werereleased in 1981.59. During the 1980s, the economic situation of Benin continued to decline. In1987 an economic recovery programme, under the auspices of the IMF,imposed drastic measures on the country: an additional 10% deduction onsalaries, a freezing of recruitments, and forced retirements. A new structuraladjustmentagreement signed with the IMF in 1989 led to a massive andindefinite strike by students and civil servants, who demanded back paymentsof salaries and scholarships grants (which had been frozen).60. Despite the appeasement measures taken by the government (payment ofsalary arrears, setting up of a human rights commission, amnesty for politicalprisoners, and formation of a broad-based government), the protest actionintensified under the combined influence of the newly formed trade unions andthe Communist Party of Dahomey, which had been secretly organising aresistance movement since the 1970s.61. Corporate claims rapidly led to political criticism of the regime. Themovement was further strengthened with the involvement of the CatholicChurch, which published a pastoral letter condemning the abuse of power. Thepolice uneasily concealed their discontent, and were divided as to what46