If only the G4 could not be just an illusion, Benin’s democracy would be improved!
SINCE THE 1991, THE PERMANENT AND CONSTANT DIVISION OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES HAS ALWAYS ALLOWED INDIVIDUAL LEADERS TO OUTGROW THEM. THIS IS TRUE ABOUT NICEPHORE SOGLO, MATHIEU KEREKOU AND BOIN YAYI. COULD THIS TREND BE STOPPED BY THE EMERGING FORCE THAT G4 HAS BECOME ON THE BENIN POLITICAL LANDSCAPE?
The bitter rivalries opposing the parties have always allowed the rise of powerful figures outside the traditional political landscape. It is why the late roundup of major political parties such as PRD, PSD, MADEP and RB, which previously had been fighting one another since the beginning of the democratic era, is seen as a change looming on horizon; change which might allow the political parties in the future fully to play their role.
Rise of G4
The year 2008 has marked a turning point on the Benin’s political landscape. On Wednesday, March 12, 2008, PRD, PSD, MADEP and RB all came together with other political parties to vent their grievances about President Boni YAYI’s handling of the country’s affairs. From November 28 to 29, 2008, during a meeting convened for the occasion in Abomey and Bohicon, the coalition of G4 again with G13, Force Clé and other political parties joined forces to voice their disapproval on the way public affairs have been dealt with since Boni YAYI came into office in April 2006, but this time, took everybody by surprise by expressing their willingness to provide a political alternative, to initiate a common policy of government and to fight to win together the next presidential elections schedule to take place in March 2011.
Vocation of political parties
One of the main features of democracy is accountability which implies that all elected leaders are to be accountable for their deeds in office to their partisans and voters. In multiparty system the elected leaders not only are accountable to the voters but also to their parties. Their parties hold dear some principles of government that they can not violate.
In 1996, PRD and PSD rallied behind Mathieu KEREKOU. Nevertheless shortly after his victory, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI had to resign with three ministers members of his party from the government. In 2006, RB supported Boni YAYI hoping that he would keep his promise and implement the decentralization act. Till now, the handing over of the needed resources to the municipality of Cotonou has not been done. Those examples demonstrate how in the Beninese democracy the Head of State appears to be above the political parties and is not accountable to them.
The inability of the political parties to fight and win the election on their own makes them dependent on individual figures that have nothing to do with any party line.
Therefore, the alliance of G4, if it could endure and face courageously its challenging contradictions, would lead to a significant breach in the recent Benin’s history, automatically strengthen the political parties and enable them to make the rule of accountability work.
This will certainly help to put an end to rule of impunity for these individual figures are not accountable to any political parties.
How should G4 brace itself for 2011?
But failure on the part of different members of the alliance to put aside their resentment towards one another will definitely result in disillusionment.
The choice of candidate outside the alliance is not an option. As a consequence, the first thing is that the alliance of G4 needs to have a unique candidate chosen among the potential contenders of the member parties. It is very important that the candidate is a member of the alliance. That is the only way he can be made accountably to the G4.
The second thing is that the alliance needs to have a clear communication strategy. The ruling FCBE has always used the phrase “old ruling class” to talk about this alliance. What this alliance has to do is to avoid giving into that trap. The alliance has to convince the voters that it is not a roundup of vindictive losers seeking revenge but instead it is a coalition of leaders who want help improve the state of the Benin’s democracy by allowing the political parties to play their role and the voters to chose leaders that are accountable to them.
If the alliance could do so, and provide change in government in 2011, this would be a major event in Benin politics since 1990. It would surely be the beginning of a new era which will be marked by the full participation of the political parties in the functioning of democracy.
