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The three-party system in Dahomey: II, 1956–1957

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2009

Martin Staniland
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Extract

By the end of 1955, territorial politics in Dahomey were dominated by three parties, the P.R.D. of S. M. Apithy, the M.D.D. of Hubert Maga, and the U.D.D. of Justin Ahomadegbe and others. Each party relied upon electoral support in clearly defined regions: the P.R.D. depended on the south-east, the M.D.D. on the north, and the U.D.D. on the residual areas of central and south-western Dahomey. The U.D.D. claimed, however, to be a new kind of party, transcending the narrow regionalism of its rivals and commanding ‘mass’ support rather than the uncertain and conditional support provided by ‘vote contractors’.

The loi-cadre reforms of 1956—7 led to an intensification of party activity, since they provided for the creation of territorial executives founded on electoral majorities and at the same time introduced universal suffrage. The 1957 Territorial Assembly elections were therefore a testing-ground for the tactics and strength of the three parties. Under pressure from the P.R.D., the U.D.D. adopted selection procedures like those of its rival. Outside the main towns, its campaigning was similar, concentrating on local issues to the exclusion of the wider questions on which the U.D.D. had hoped to take its stand.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of African History , Volume 14 , Issue 3 , July 1973 , pp. 491 - 504
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1973

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References

1 The final figures were: Apithy-Aplogan, 64,344 votes; Maga-Gbaguidi, 60,600; Adandé-Ahomadegbe, 40,637; Toko-Maurat, 10,592; Darboux-Soumanou Mama, 2,963. The total turnout was 46.6 per cent (179,734 out of a registered electorate of 384,868) (France-Dahomey, 3 Jan. 1956, 13 Jan. 1956).Google Scholar

2 Zinsou was from Ouidah: in 1951 he and Kpakpo had topped the poil in the subdivision centrale and in the Parahoué subdivision of Athiémé, and came second in Grand Popo. The U.D.D. drew a number of its leaders from the Mina population of the western coast.Google Scholar

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7 Report, Commissariat de Police, Abomey, 6 Mar. 1957, APA/483 (Direction des Affaires Intérieures, Cotonou).Google Scholar

8 The electoral system was based on Law 52–130 of 6 Feb. 1952 (see Robinson, in Mackenzie and Robinson, Five Elections in Africa, 297–8). The electoral arrangements for Dahomey in 1957 were set Out in France-Dahomey, 2 Mar. 1957.Google Scholar

9 Cf. Robinson, in Mackenzie and Robinson, Five Elections in Africa, 298;Google Scholar and Lewis, W. Arthur, Politics in West Africa (London, 1965), 64–74.Google Scholar

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14 France-Dahomey, 31 July 1956. Cf. the report on the Territorial Assembly's debate on the loi cadre, France-Dahomey, 29 Aug. 1956, 1 Sept. 1956.Google Scholar

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17 Le Périscope, May/June 1956 (statement by Council of Elders); Governor-High Commissioner, 9 Apr. 1957.Google Scholar

18 Le Périscope, May/June 1956.Google Scholar

19 In the same elections the U.D.D. took nine of the thirty-one seats in the Porto-Novo municipality and four of the twenty-three in Parakou (France-Dahomey, 21 Nov. 1956).Google Scholar

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25 The north was allotted eighteen seats, for five constituencies. The M.D.D. put up sixteen candidates in its own name, plus two ‘independents’ for Parakou. The M.D.D. was opposed in every constituency except Natitingou. On election day, there was a turnout of 45·6 per cent (102,078 out of a total electorate of 223,396). The M.D.D. (including the Parakou list) obtained 66 per cent of votes cast in the north. But one constituency alone (Natitingou) provided 65 per cent of all the M.D.D.'s votes. The party in fact won only six seats, the remainder going to independents. As Governor Biros remarked, Maga was ‘the big loser’ in the election (Governor-High Commissioner, 9 Apr. 1957).Google Scholar

26 Governor-High Commissioner, 9 Apr. 1957.Google Scholar

27 Intelligence report, 6 Mar. 1957, APA/467, Cotonou.Google Scholar

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33 Governor-High Commissioner, 9 Apr. 1957. The Commandant de Cercle, Ouidah, said that, for the voters in his district, Apithy was ‘a fetish in a lounge suit’ (Report, Commandant de Cercle, Ouidah, 3 Apr. 1957, APA/787, Ouidah).Google Scholar

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39 Police intelligence report, 8 Mar. 1957, 119, Cotonou.Google Scholar

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48 Ibid. The U.D.D. blamed its defeat on intimidation by the P.R.D., administrative bias, and support of Apithy by the larger French firms (L'Action Sociale et Populaire de Cotonou (Cotonou), 1 May 1957). The Governor was certainly hostile towards the left-wing of the U.D.D., demanding in his report on the election that ‘the territory be relieved forever’ of ‘the professional agitator’ Mamadou Traoré. On the charge of partiality, he wrote: ‘The truth is that the wild men of the U.D.D. felt the wind of defeat and, being unable to admit their mistakes, blamed them in advance on the administration’. (GovernorHigh Commissioner, 9 Apr. 1957.)

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50 By allocation proportionate to votes cast, the U.D.D. would have taken three seats for Porto-Novo, two for Cotonou, two for Ouidah, four for Athiémé, four for Abomey, one for Pobé-Kétou, and two for Savalou.Google Scholar

51 I would like to thank Charlotte Logan for her help in the preparation of this article.Google Scholar