Signs of deep division within the ruling FCBE
FORCE CAURIS FOR AN EMERGING BENIN (IN FRENCH FORCE CAURIS POUR UN BENIN EMERGENT: FCBE) WHICH BACKS PRESIDENT BONI YAYI IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, HAS BEEN DISPLAYING FOR AWHILE SIGNS OF DIVISION WITHIN ITS LEADERS. IF CONFIRMED, THIS IN-FIGHTING MIGHT NOT DO GOOD FOR 2011 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
The FCBE was set up as a governmental alliance on the eve of the March 2007 legislative elections which it won by obtaining thirty-five (35) seats against at total of eighty-three (83) seats in the National Assembly. Such a victory allowed Boni YAYI to put in place a presidential majority by reaching an agreement with the G13 alliance. Nevertheless, the comfortable majority which was supposed to give Boni YAYI all the power he needed to implement its policy had not lasted. It had been eroded by the withdrawal of G13 from the governmental coalition.
From what has been going on for a while within the ruling FCBE, it seems that the worst is still to come. There are obvious facts signaling lack of unity between the leading members of the alliance.
Janvier YAHOUEDEOU, a ruling FCBE’s leading member, an advisor and a close associate to Boni YAYI, after criticizing severely the Head of State, in a speech delivered at the UNDP convention on Saturday, February 21, 2009, in Bohicon, over his positions regarding the implementation of the LEPI (the Voters’ Registry Computerization Project), was summoned to explain his statement at a meeting of the party’s leaders. He was reported to have defended himself brilliant and even other influential members of the ruling FCBE agreed with him.
In an article published in the local daily news paper, “Nouvelles Mutations” on Friday, March 06, 2009, another MP, Grégoire LAOUROU, who is a FCBE member elected as parliamentarian in the Banté constituency in the Central region, is said to be siding with Bio TCHANE, one of the potential contenders to President Boni YAYI in 2011 presidential contest. The article was much critical about the MP Grégoire LAOUROU, depicting him as someone Boni YAYI can no longer count on.
In another article published the same day in the daily news paper, “Le Matinal”, one of the most important political parties members of FCBE, FADES is said to be subject to a serious crisis which resulted into the sacking of the MP André DASSOUNDO from the party. The parliamentarian André DASSOUNDO is a leading member of the FCBE and the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly.
The MP André DASSOUNDO reacted to his sacking by setting up his own party, the PSED on Friday, March 06, 2009 in Dassa-Zoumé but still claims to be supportive of Boni YAYI’s actions: « It must be retained once and for all whether or not DASSOUNDO creates his own party; he is and will be part of the presidential majority. DASSOUNDO and his party support the ideals based on justice, human rights and development espoused by the Head of State since his coming to power. And we will support the Head of State until the end of his term. »
Nonetheless, some analysts suggest that André DASSOUNDO has been dismissed from the FADES because of his recent stand against the way FCBE is being managed. There are even allegations that he intends to join the opposition alliance of G4, G13 and Force Clé and support Bio TCHANE’s candidacy for 2011 presidential race.
In another development at the National Assembly in Porto-Novo on Friday, March 06, 2009, the first extraordinary session which was due to take place, was boycotted by the fifty-five (55) parliamentarians among whom twenty-two (22) from the ruling FCBE. The session was convened by the Speaker of National Assembly after an express demand from the Government that wants the Parliament to approve three different loan accords signed between Benin and its partners.
The overwhelming absence of the FCBE parliamentarians might be another sign of malaise within its ranks. This growing division at a time when Boni YAYI has to face an increasingly defiant opposition from the G4, G13 and Force Clé, is not a good sign. It is as if the Head of State is not able anymore to convince his own camp about his chance to secure a second term in office. Now all those whom he is supposed to rely upon seem to be turning their back on him. Truly, things are getting tough for the Head of State.
