Benin: Amnesty law to be examined during the upcoming session opening next Monday

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The first ordinary session of the National Assembly for the year 2024 will open on Monday, April 15. Among the items on the agenda is a special bill proposing amnesty for political figures accused of criminal activities.

Will some political figures who have been sentenced to prison be granted amnesty? The answer to this question will be known during the first ordinary session of the National Assembly in 2024.

Indeed, one of the items on the agenda for this session is the examination of a bill proposing amnesty and/or dropping of charges against certain political figures, including former minister Reckya Madougou and Professor Joel Aivo.

Initiated by opposition members of parliament, this bill has sparked a lot of debate within the political class. The ruling party accuses the opposition of not including them in the initiation of this law and of using it for political gain. On the other hand, the opposition promises to knock on every door to ensure that this law is adopted for the benefit of fellow citizens who have been deprived of their freedom because of their political opinions.

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The question that arises after the scheduling of this bill is its chances of being adopted, as the political party that initiated this law (the Democratic Party) does not have enough votes to pass it. Will they be able to count on the support of ruling party members of parliament? Only time will tell.