DAHOMEY: DAHOMEY VOTERS HAVE APPROVED THEIR COUNTRY'S NEW DRAFT CONSTITUTION BY A BIG MAJORITY.

Record ID: 328812

  • Title: DAHOMEY: DAHOMEY VOTERS HAVE APPROVED THEIR COUNTRY'S NEW DRAFT CONSTITUTION BY A BIG MAJORITY.
  • Date: 2nd April 1968
  • Summary: GENERAL SCENES OF PEOPLE VOTING. Initials GS/VS/AS/PF Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 17th April 1968 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: DAHOMEY, WEST AFRICA
  • Country: Benin
  • Reuters ID: LVAEWBC5DXM5Y8AOHJBS7FAH3ZMO
  • Story Text: A DRAFT CONSTITUTION CALLING FOR A FIVE-YEAR-ONE-PARTY STATE IN DAHOMEY HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE COUNTRY'S VOTERS. A REFERENDUM ON MARCH 31 DREW 846,521 VOTES FOR AND 71,695 AGAINST.

    THE ONE-PARTY STATE IDEA IS AIMED AT RETURNING THE WEST AFRICAN COUNTRY TO CIVILIAN RULE AFTER A MILITARY COUP LAST DECEMBER.

    A GOVERNMENT COMMUNIQUE SAID THE PROPOSED SINGLE PARTY FORMULA WAS ONLY ANOTHER EXPERIMENT COMING AFTER MANY OTHERS HAD BEEN TRIED AND FAILED.

    THE NEXT MOVE WILL BE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS TO BE HELD BETWEEN MAY 1 AND MAY 12. THE PRESIDENT-ELECT WILL THEN FORM THE SINGLE NATIONAL PARTY FOR LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS. DAHOMEY WAS A FRENCH TERRITORY FROM 1904 AND BECAME INDEPENDENT IN AUGUST, 1960.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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