Benin – Electoral Code: Applicants finally obtain the version of the voted document

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Since Thursday, March 13, the Constitutional Court has been holding a plenary session to review the appeals filed against the new electoral code.

At the opening of the plenary session, the parliamentary opposition represented by 6 deputies and the party’s advisors raised a preliminary issue. The opposition deputies were unable to access the document adopted on the night of Tuesday, March 5 to Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at the National Assembly.

A correspondence that was reportedly sent to President Louis Vlavonou by Deputy Eric Houndété, who requested the final version of the document voted on by the deputies, went unanswered.

“We are pleased that today there is a request from the head of state for a constitutional review of the law. We hope that this will allow us to have the text of the law adopted in plenary session,” said Deputy Abdel Kamel Ouassangari, as quoted by Le Matinal.

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The advisor of the party Les Démocrates demanded the version of the document for which the head of state is requesting a constitutionality review before the consideration of appeals against the modifications made to the electoral code.

Interrogated by the President of the Court, the representative of the National Assembly noted that the text examined in the Law Committee had undergone amendments in the plenary session.

In response to this preliminary requirement by Les Démocrates, the Constitutional Court suspended for an hour. Upon resumption, the opposition deputies obtained a copy of the version of the document adopted on March 6th.

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Are the amendments contained in the document provided by the court to the applicants in line with the amendments made in the plenary session on the night of Tuesday, March 5 to Wednesday, March 6, 2024? The session continues here at the Constitutional Court.