Source:
https://www.lepoint.fr/afrique/covi...mmunales-masquees-15-05-2020-2375586_3826.php
Covid-19: in Benin, masked municipal and communal elections
5.4 million Beninese voters are called to the polls on May 17 for these elections despite the coronavirus. What are the challenges of this electoral event? By Le Point Afrique
Posted on 5/15/2020 at 10:54 AM | Le Point.fr
With the measures taken to counter Covid-19 still in effect, the election campaign was reduced to media action.
With the measures taken to counter the Covid-19 still in effect, the election campaign was reduced to media action. ? YANICK FOLLY / AFP
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In Benin, the first round of municipal and communal elections on Sunday May 17 will take place. The election campaign which ends this Friday evening is like no other, for many, it will have been virtual and tense. 5.4 million Beninese voters are asked to choose from more than 1,400 candidates in more than 14,950 polling stations in the country in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic. And this, while many voices, especially within the opposition, have already called for the postponement of this election, and in April, the African Court of Human Rights had ruled in favor of the opponent S?bastien Ajavon, currently in exile, requiring Benin to suspend these elections, which it considered non-inclusive. State of play.
Five parties in the running
Last year, between April and June, the country had plunged into a serious political crisis in the aftermath of the legislative elections, during which no opposition party had been able to present a list. Supporters of former President Boni Yayi had taken to the streets in droves to protest the election, and had been dispersed by live ammunition. Since then, dialogue has broken down and the former head of state, the main opponent of President Patrice Talon, has recently left his party, accusing the new Political Charter imposed in the country of "inexorably leading to a single party to the president's pay ”. It refers to the new obligations which the Beninese political parties must fulfill, within the framework of a reform initiated by the Head of State.
As for the Social Liberal Union (Usl) of S?bastien Ajavon, it does not hide its desire to contest the results of these elections before the African Court of Justice. Indeed, Benin informed the institution of its intention to leave the protocol which allows each citizen to seize the instance, but this request will not take effect until March 2021.
The conditions introduced prior to the April legislative elections, notably on the issuance of party recognition receipts and the tax discharge requested from political parties, a sticking point which had excluded opposition parties from the last ballot, remain unchanged.
Boycott calls
For the Collective for the safeguard of Beninese democracy, a collective of Beninese from the diaspora, this election "is a vast political swindle" and presents an "exclusive character due to the health context imposed by Covid-19".
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) warns that the coronavirus "represents an additional challenge for electoral processes in sub-Saharan Africa", in a report released Thursday.
"Democratic elections require an environment respectful of fundamental rights, including freedom of association, freedom of opinion and expression as well as ensuring the safety of voters," said the NGO.
"There is a real risk that the pandemic could be used for political ends, by maintaining or suspending the polls, according to the personal and political interests of each," writes FIDH.
The opponent in exile L?once Houngb?dji, member of the Collective for the safeguard of Beninese democracy, called for forbearance: “Coronavirus disease kills. On May 17, let's not get infected and killed. Stay with us. "
The abstention, which had exceeded 70% in the 2019 legislative elections, a historically high rate, could reach new records on Sunday. Many voters have already indicated that they will not vote. "We know that the parties in power will still be a hit as in the last legislative elections," said AFM Firmin Armand Cakpo, a student from Abomey-Calavi. “There is no point in risking your health for an election with little stake. "
Sunday, the lists of the 77 communes of Benin propose candidates of five parties, more or less important or more or less close to the capacity, but the population worries especially of the propagation of the coronavirus.
The country had just 339 officially confirmed cases on Thursday, but the number has risen sharply in recent days due to massive government-run testing of target groups like teachers and health workers.
To limit the spread of the virus, the government has banned political rallies and rallies of more than 50 people.
The electoral campaign was therefore limited to posters and messages disseminated via the media and social networks. "We could have postponed the poll to do things better," one of the opposition party candidates in Cotonou, who feared it would allow the government to "push through," said on condition of anonymity. lists in force in most municipalities ”.
The National Election Commission (Cena) wants to be reassuring, however, and assures that "the government and the Cena have taken measures to protect citizens". "As part of the health protection measures against Covid-19, hydroalcoholic gel to disinfect hands and masks to protect us against the pandemic," said Emmanuel Tiando, president of Cena. This does not prevent the opposition from denouncing a "forced march" election. New rules oblige: only the lists having collected at least 10% of the valid votes expressed at the national level are eligible for the distribution of the seats within the municipal councils.
