Much ink continues to be spilt over the question of revisions to the West African country of Benin's constitution. The country's President Yayi Boni has proposed an amendment to the constitution that would twist the law which puts a ban on presidential third terms to allow him to run one more time in the next presidential elections. Boni already has won two presidential elections in 2006 and 2011. In the past, the president of the republic has made his views on the subject very clear on several occasions, stating that he will not be standing for election in 2016. Boni submitted a draft proposal of the decree to the National Assembly on June 6, 2013 and wanted a vote on it four days later, leaving only four days for members of the parliament to review the proposal. A number of political players and public opinion accuse Boni of hurrying the amendment for his own political gain. Observers note that Boni got rid of a potential nuisance in Robert Dossou, who is former president of the Constitutional Court and who vehemently opposed any changes to the constitution. In principle, major changes in the constitution are still quite unlikely because the full draft text presented to the National Assembly clearly states that: Les options fondamentales suivantes énoncées à la Conférence Nationale des forces vives de la Nation de février 1990 et considérées comme socles de notre Constitution seront préservées. Il s’agit de : – l’Etat de droit , – la démocratie libérale; – la forme républicaine de l’Etat; – le multipartisme intégral; – la nature présidentielle du régime; – la limitation du mandat du Président de la République; – l’âge des candidats à l’élection du Président de la République. The following options, as laid down in the National Conference of Active Forces of the Nation in February 1990, and considered to constitute the very core of our Constitution, will be retained. They are: – a State of Law – a liberal democracy; – A State based on republican principles; – a full multiparty system; – a presidential regime; – a time-limited Presidential mandate; – the age of candidates on election of the President of the Republic. The crest of Benin courtesy of Wikipedia CC-BY-3.0 Furthermore, in an attempt to reassure the people of Benin and to guarantee a large consensus, the president of the National Assembly called for a consultation process to be organised on the content of the draft revisions to the constitution, stating that: ce projet de loi portant sur la relecture de la loi fondamentale du Bénin respecte les engagements prises par la nation béninoise à la Conférence des Forces vives de la nation de février 1990, en ce qui concerne le mandat présidentiel de cinq ans renouvelable une fois, la limite d'âge de 40 ans au moins et 70 ans au plus pour tout candidat à l'élection présidentielle et enfin le type présidentiel du régime politique. Outre ces acquis démocratiques, souligne le président du Parlement du Bénin, ce projet de loi portant révision de la Constitution béninoise du 11 décembre 1990, comporte trois principales innovations répondant parfaitement aux préoccupations de la classe politique béninoise, notamment la création et la constitutionnalisation de la Cour des comptes, la constitutionnalisation de la Commission électorale nationale autonome et enfin l'imprescriptibilité des crimes économiques dans le cadre de la moralisation de la vie publique. This draft legislation, relating to the review of Benin's fundamental legislation, honours the commitments undertaken by the nation of Benin at the National Conference on Active Forces of the Nation in February 1990 in terms of the five-year presidential mandate, renewable only once, with a lower age limit of 40 and the upper age limit of 70 for all presidential candidates and, lastly, the nature of the presidential political regime. Aside from these democratic gains, the Benin's Parliamentary President has stressed that this draft legislation, seeking to revise Benin's 11 December 1990 Constitution, also brings with it three main innovations which respond perfectly to the preoccupations of Benin's political classes, most notably the creation and constitutionalisation of the Auditor's court, the constitutionalisation of the national, independent Electoral Commission and, finally, immunity from accountability for economic crimes in public office. Ministers are very supportive of the president as operation “hands on my constitution”, referring to the slogan “hands off my constitution” used by opponents of the revisions, was launched on June 20, 2013 by government minister Beniot Degla with the aim of supporting the head of state's reforms. However, all of this has fallen well short of reassuring public opinion.