/ 27 July 2001

BENIN BLOWS IT’S BUDGET

BENIN does not have enough money to hold local elections because most of the budget was blown during the presidential election in March, the winner of that election, President Mathieu Kerekou, said on Monday. “Of the nine billion CFA francs ($12,3-million) set aside for the presidential and municipal elections, we only have 500-million CFA francs left,” he said during a meeting with the country’s political parties, non-governmental organisations and various associations. “All the rest was spent during the presidential elections to save democracy,” said Kerekou, who was re-elected during that poll. – AFP