CHAPTER THREE: DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE __________________________________________________________________________  Organise and finance initial and further training for journalists (journalists unions, media chiefs, development partners and government).  Build the capacity (training, equipping, human resource, and so on) of the HAAC (Benin’s official media regulator), journalist associations and unions to foster better organisation and self-censorship in media activities. Particular attention should be given to capacity building for better evaluation, control and strict discipline in cases of lapses in professional responsibilities (journalists unions, media chiefs, development partners and government). 2. Promote basic human rights in neighbourhoods and villages by:  Initiating and/or enhancing educational programmes, at basic school level, on citizenship, republican values and human rights (government and the National Consultative Commission for Human Rights).  Organising regular awareness and educational campaigns on human rights in the television, radio and newspaper media through training seminars (National Consultative Commission for Human Rights, human rights associations and the HAAC).  Developing specialist training courses for security forces and judicial officers to protect all human rights (including economic, cultural and social rights) and to ensure compliance with national and international protocols on human rights (National Consultative Commission for Human Rights, human rights associations and NGOs). Objective 4: Separate powers, protect the independence of the judiciary and develop an efficient Parliament i. Summary of the CSAR 204. With regard to the constitutional provisions separating powers, several provisions in the constitution of Benin separate powers. This separation is achieved through the institutions created under the constitution. These institutions are functioning quite well except for a few internal and external problems. Data collected during the study shows that the separation of powers does not work perfectly in Benin. 205. The Executive in Benin is particularly powerful because the president of the republic, who is both the head of state and head of government, has a significant number of functions. Consequently, the Executive has a marked influence over the other two powers, the legislature and the judiciary. This leads to some interference between powers. This, in turn, brings corruption, politicisation and bribery in its wake. 91

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