| Posted
on April 07, 2006 - New elected president sworn in
President Kerekou left the political stage of Benin on April 6, 2006 the day the new elected President Thomas Yayi Boni was sworn in.
Political instability marred the country's first years after full independence from France in 1960 to October 26, 1972 - the date the Army (once again) seized power. (In fact the coup was engineered by Captain Assogba, who, few hours after grabbing the political power, unexpectedly handed it back to his hierarchical chief Colonel Mathieu Kerekou.)
Since then Kerekou managed to remain the central man in the power game for quite 30 years. A record that will stand for decades to come. Indeed, a limitation to mandates is engraved in the 1990's Constitution that allows for only two successive mandates and forbids anyone to run for the position if above the age of 70.
Kerekou will be remembered by his fellow citizens as the man who shaped the unity of the nation.
That is an accomplishment that overrides shortcomings that tainted his reign. One has to remember that in 1990, when his power was at jeopardy during the so called Conference Nationale, he refused to use troops to quell the opposition and "willingly" accept the decision taken by the Conference to strip down his power and adjoin to him a Prime Ministe, Mr. Nicephore Dieudonnee Soglo - who led an interim government till March 1991.
Kerekou lost 1991's presidential ballot against Soglo and did nothing to impede Soglo exercising the state power for 5 years. He run again twice against Soglo (1996 and 2001) and won. He respected the institutions put in place to protect democracy in the county (The Supreme Court, The Institutional Court and The Media Controlling Agency. Etc.)
He who was the "indomitable" revolutionary leader of the Marxist-regime (1972-1990) respected free press and free speech, endeavored to preserve peace, cleverly balanced assignments into the state machine - not forgetting any region when choosing political appointed executives. But he avoid during his reign taking harsh decisions against people who thrive in corruption, and therefore, was seen as an accomplice by many.
Even that weakness could be set apart and one should remind him as the shaper of the nation's unity. Indeed, during the fight towards independence and after - till 1996 - there was a clear cut political line between the North and the South of the country. Northerners and Southerners voting in mass for candidates originating from their respective regions.
For the first time, during 2006's presidential ballot, the new President Thomas Yayi Boni born in Tchaourou, a small town located at the East-North-Center of the country, not far from Nigeria's borders, gained substantial votes from all Benin's regions - that put him on the lead for the first leg and drove him to finally win the contest.
One has to credit Kerekou for such an outcome - even if the country was united in its desire for change towards a better living standards and saw the new President as portent of such changes.
The economic development, however, is another story. Kerekou failed. Benin is one of the poorest country of in the World, ranked 162 out of 177 countries by the World Bank. Kerekou's successive governments had not established a strong economy that create jobs to cope with demands or build-up riches for all to alleviate poverty. Worse, the last years of his reign had been tainted by heavy corruption and financial scandals.
A new era with the new elected President?
Since April 06, 2006, the date the new President Thomas Yayi Boni was sworn in, Benin enters a new era. For the first time someone new to politics comes to power. (President Yayi Boni was an unknown on the political stage two years ago.) He was the manager of the Bank for the Development of West Africa
(Banque Ouest Africaine de Développement - BOAD), a structure set up by eight west african French speaking countries (Benin, Burkina-Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo - Click here for countries' briefs.) He used the top banking position to grant micro-credits and loans to projects in the country. He managed to be perceived as the "money man" who has the capacity to help for a better developing.
Above briefly outlined strategy worked perfectly to put him at the helm of the country. Indeed, he had been elected on March 19, 2006 with 74% of cast ballots against 24% for his contender - Mr. Adrien Houngbedji - a lawyer, businessman a veteran of the political scene.
Now that he is in charge of a country and not of a bank, the simple strategy used to beat political opponents would not certainly be the adequate one to boosting Benin's economy, (which is in a deplorable state - see below for more) to creating jobs and building-up riches for all.
The economy is at standstill since 25 years
Figures listed in Table below show that Benin's (official) economy remained standstill for 25 five years running. The inflation and the population's growth rates (lines 10 and 11) eat the seeming growth rate of the economy (line 9.)
Nothing is left of the annual economic growth rate to trigger wealth's building - (line 13.) Besides, the per capita GNP (line 2) shows an increase of only fourteen percent in two decades - that is a yearly average increase of 0.7 percent. That is not enough to create rich for all and fight against poverty.
| Essential Economic Ratio and Long Term Trends of Benin's Economy |
| Items / Period |
1981 |
1991 |
2001 |
2005* |
| 1. GNP (US$ billions) |
1.3 |
1.9 |
2.4 |
2.3 |
| 2. Per Capita GNP |
337 |
344 |
385 |
380 |
| 3. Gross Domestic Investment / GNP |
15.7 |
14.5 |
19.2 |
18.9 |
| 4. Export of Goods & Services / GNP |
23.2 |
24.5 |
15.2 |
14.8 |
| 5. Gross national Savings /GNP |
0.0 |
0.0 |
12.5 |
10.8 |
| 6. .Current Account Balance / GNP |
-21.6 |
-4.8 |
-6.7 |
-8.1 |
| 7. Interest Payments / GNP |
0.2 |
0.7 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
| 8. Total Debt / GNP |
38.1 |
71.0 |
61.8 |
57.2 |
| Average Percentage Increase |
| 9. GNP |
2.2 |
4.9 |
5.0 |
3.7 |
| 10. Inflation |
6 |
8 |
3.8 |
4.2 |
| 11. Population |
2.6 |
2.7 |
2.8 |
3.0 |
| 12. Labor force |
2.5 |
2.6 |
2.7 |
2.9 |
| 13. Poverty |
55 |
45 |
44 |
55 |
| Source: World Bank Group |
Reviewing figures listed in above table (Year 2005 figures are estimates), one realizes that Benin's economy (as most African countries ones) is frozen in time.
The developing does not create jobs and wealth for all. As advocated in several Africabiz Online deliveries the only way to turn around the economy to create jobs to cope with demand and riches for all - to alleviate rampant poverty - is to stage a developing strategy that yields, year in year out, double digit growth rates. Otherwise, there is no hope for any improvement for decades to come.
Would the new regime do that? President Yayi Boni repeated the political slogan "Things Will Change. That Must Change" during the electoral campaign. The rallying slogan matched perfectly with the population's desire. However, such a slogan does not stand for an elaborated economic program that could gear up the economy; and further micro-credits are not the solution to the developing gap!
Now, President Yayi should deliver.
That is the only way he could politically survive in a country, which population
is acute in politics and demanding. Expectation is immense. Beninese are tired
of corruption and disillusioned by political leaders who for decades had not
improved their living conditions. That is why there will be no grace period
for the new regime. Beninese want results now and immediately. Otherwise, within
5 years time, the change of regime would be again on the tablets.
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