- Title: DAHOMEY: NEW PRESIDENT SETTLES INTO OFFICE AFTER COUP
- Date: 1st December 1965
- Summary: THE NEW PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF THE DAHOMEY CABINET. Initials DE/V/RM/ES Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 16th December 1965 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: COTONOU -- DAHOMEY
- Country: Benin
- Reuters ID: LVA1AP3SPKQFG0VS02LKYZRRIBO0
- Story Text: PRESIDENT TAHIROU CONGACOU WAS ON TUESDAY SETTLING INTO OFFICE IN DAHOMEY AFTER OVERTHROW OF PRESIDENT SOUROU-MIGAN APITHY DURING THE WEEKEND.
THE NEW PRESIDENT IS A FORMER TEACHER. HE WAS INSTALLED BY GENERAL CHRISTOPHE SOGLO WHO LED THE COUP ON MONDAY WHICH OVERTHREW PRESIDENT APITHY. THE COUP FOLLOWED THE BREAKDOWN OF AN UNEASY BALANCE OF POWER BETWEEN PRESIDENT APITHY AND PREMIER AHOMADEGBE. THE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE TWO MEN AROSE FROM THE QUESTION OF WHICH OF THEM HAD THE POWER TO APPOINT A PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME COURT. GENERAL SOGLO DISMISSED THEM BOTH.
THE GENERAL HAD MADE IT CLEAR THAT HE DOES NOT INTEND THAT PRESIDENT CONGACOU SHOULD REMAIN IN POWER AGAINST THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE. HE SAID THAT THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT WOULD REMAIN IN OFFICE UNTIL THE ELECTORATE COULD BE CONSULTED.
M. CONGACOU, SPEAKING SOON AFTER ASSUMING OFFICE SAID THAT THE DEADLOCK BETWEEN PRESIDENT APITHY AND PREMIER AHOMADEGBE HAD PARALYSED THE MACHINERY OF GOVERNMENT, BLOCKED THE BUDGET AND DELAYED THE START OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC PLAN.
(DAHOMEY -- A SMALL NATION SANDWICHED WITH TOGO BETWEEN NIGERIA AND GHANA, GAINED ITS INDEPENDENCE FROM FRANCE IN AUGUST 1960. ITS FIRST GOVERNMENT, HEADED BY PRESIDENT MAGA, WAS OVERTHROWN IN OCTOBER 1963 BY THE TEN COLONEL SOGLO. AFTER AND INTERIM PERIOD OF ARMY GOVERNMENT, THE ADMINISTRATION WHICH FELL ON MONDAY WAS ELECTED.)
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