Benin: Patrice Talon met with Eric Houndété, future leader of the opposition

2023-04-25 11:10:11

Unusual meeting at the Beninese presidency this Monday, April 24. The head of state spoke with the president of the opposition party Les Démocrates. Patrice Talon and Eric Houndété discussed topical issues such as the marketing of agricultural products and the situation of opponents in prison.

It was as leader of the most representative opposition party that Eric Houndété was received by the President of the Republic. This must consecrate by decree of appointment the status of leader of the opposition of the president of the party Les Démocrates. It is the consequence of results of the last legislative elections which made Eric Houndété’s party, with 28 seats won, the most representative opposition party.

But if the title carried until then by Paul Hounkpè of the FCBEfalls automatically to the president of the Democrats, the latter does not seem delighted with the idea of ​​being appointed by the chief executive. “The President of the Republic cannot appoint the leader of the oppositionobserved the opponent leaving the hearing. So, it will probably be a question of correcting the law but in the meantime, the head of state is in a favorable position to take the acts in accordance with the provisions of the law which is there for the leader of the opposition to be appointed ”.

Soy crisis and legal situation of opponents

A few weeks ago, the group of Democrats in the National Assembly tabled an amnesty bill which should make it possible to release those imprisoned following the electoral violence around the 2021 presidential election. Eric Houndété discussed this proposal with Patrice Talon. Just like the situation “unpaid” of several opponents released from prison without being tried. Or the situation of political exiles. On these issues, the president of the Democrats claims to be “optimistic”.

topical and controversial topic above all, thehe marketing of agricultural products, soybeans and cashew nuts, which makes producers scold also on the menu of exchanges between Talon and Houndété. The second pleaded the case of the producers with the first. “We talked about the producers who say a little about their suffering in the country, said Eric Houndete. There were a few solutions, but we explained to the Head of State that producers must be allowed to continue to live in order to produce; to keep the people around them working”.