CHAPTER THREE: DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL GOVERNANCE __________________________________________________________________________ are often torn apart by inter-denominational conflicts. In Benin, a large number of Christian churches, Islam and traditional religions (in particular voodoo) coexist in harmony. All of them contribute to the spiritual upliftment of the people. There is some fear, however, that some religious groups may have attempted to influence political choices. 186. Freedom of the press deserves particular mention because of its highly valued pluralism. A multitude of newspapers (including several dailies), a large number of private television and radio stations, as well as community radio stations coexist in Benin. However, press excesses were frequently observed and highlighted during the forum organised by the CRM for journalists. From the so-called revolutionary era, characterised by a lack of freedom, the press has moved on to a total freedom that is akin to anarchy, and abuses abound. There have been many cases of defamation, rumour mongering, corruption, manipulation of the press to achieve political ends, and articles written on the orders of people. 187. The lack of professionalism of new journalists, the failure to observe ethical and professional standards, the pervading impunity, incomes, and inadequate regulation of the profession were criticised. One could say that freedom of the press in Benin is threatened more by internal forces than by external ones. Control, including ‘censorship’ of the public media, seems to give cause for major concern. The efforts of HAAC, aimed at addressing these shortcomings, have not yet yielded any positive results. The profession needs to be better organised and effectively self-regulated. 188. The CRM noted efforts made by the public authorities to allocate grants to the private media (an average of 300 million CFA franc per annum), and lauded the efforts made by journalists to address their own problems within the framework of the National Professional Journalists Association. However, these efforts need to be consolidated and the support of development partners would help. 189. The same situation applies to the exercise of other civil rights, which is often thwarted by ignorance and the enthusiasm of the security agencies (many cases of violence and degrading treatment have been reported). The poor state of the prisons, excessive deterioration of living conditions in penitentiary institutions, corruption, the pervading wheeling and dealing, and legal insecurity are also matters of concern. 190. Economic and socio-cultural rights are also enshrined in the constitution. These include the right to education (Article 8, Paragraph 13), the right to health (Article 8), the right to work (Article 30), and the right to embark on industrial action (Article 31). The same applies to solidarity rights (the socalled third-generation rights) in respect of development rights (Article 9), and rights to a secure, satisfactory and sustainable environment (Articles 27, 28, 29 and 74). 191. This official statement notwithstanding, the actual implementation of these rights leaves much to be desired. The findings of the focus groups organised 87