The African People's Bloc (French: Bloc Populaire Africain, BPA) was a political party in French Dahomey (now Benin).

African People's Bloc
Bloc Populaire Africain
AbbreviationBPA
FounderJustin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin
Émile Poisson
Founded1946
DissolvedJuly 1955
Split fromDahomeyan Progressive Union
Merged intoDahomeyan Democratic Union

History

edit

The party was established in 1946 by Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin and Émile Poisson due to their dissatisfaction with the policies of the Dahomeyan Progressive Union (UPD).[1] In the 1946–47 General Council elections the party won 6 of the 30 seats, finishing second to the Dahomeyan Progressive Union;[2] Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin and Poisson were both elected. The party failed to win a seat in the French National Assembly in the 1951 elections, but won four seats in the 1952 Territorial Assembly elections.[3]

In 1955 the party merged with the UPD to form the Dahomeyan Democratic Union.[4]

References

edit
  1. ^ Mathurin C Houngnikpo & Samuel Decalo (2012) Historical Dictionary of Benin, Scarecrow Press, p81
  2. ^ Joseph-Roger de Benoist (1982) Afrique Occidentale française de 1944 à 1960, p537
  3. ^ Sternberger, D, Vogel, B, Nohlen, D & Landfried, K (1978) Die Wahl der Parlamente: Band II: Afrika, Ereste Halbband, p530 (in German)
  4. ^ A propos de l’excellente chronique du Professeur Amoussou YEYE, contenu dans lnt La Nouvelle Tribine, 12 June 2009