Electoral campaigns begin in Togo

On Saturday, April 13, electoral campaigns for Togo’s elections begun in the country’s capital of Lome.

There have been a lot of protests over the constitutional reforms set to take place in the West African country. Opposition party, Alliance National pour le Changement, ANC launched with a caravan in Lome against the proposed reforms.

In an interview, the leader of ANC mentioned that his movement will not allow the attempts for a permanent power grab by the incumbent administration to impose their vision on the people.

The National Alliance for Change (Alliance Nationale pour le Changement, abbreviated ANC) is a social democratic party in Togo, led by Jean-Pierre Fabre. The party emerged from a split within the Union of Force for Change (UFC) following the 2010 Togolese Presidential Elections.

The Forces Démocratiques Républicains, FDR on the other hand views the constitutional reforms as a major issue at stake in the upcoming elections.

Supporters of the incumbent government, Union pour la République, UNIR also took to the streets with their campaigns. At their point of convergence, Minister Gilbert Bears, one of the leaders in the ruling party said, “The challenge is simple- to confirm the confidence and support of the Togolese people in everything we’re doing. But at the same time, to say to the Togolese people, we will listen to them and we will act to improve and accelerate everything we have done so far.”

Reports indicate that over 2,000 candidates (from political parties and independent candidates) are vying for 113 seats as Members of Parliament and 179 seats as Regional Counsellors.

Voting is scheduled to take place on April 29, 2024.

‘Don’t touch my constitution!’ Togolese resist reforms ahead of election

Opposition figures accuse President Faure Gnassingbe of changing the rules so he can maintain his grip on power.

Tensions are rising in Togo over major constitutional reforms ahead of delayed parliamentary elections.

The constitutional reboot was approved by lawmakers last month but resubmitted for “consultations” as public anger over its stealthy passage through parliament mounted with police breaking up an opposition news conference and cracking down on protests.

The reforms would see Togo move from a presidential to a parliamentary system, essentially ushering in the country’s fifth republic. But opposition activists believe it’s all a ruse designed to keep longstanding President Faure Gnassingbe in power – albeit, they say, with a new job title – preserving a dynastic system stretching back nearly six decades.

Amid the turmoil, Gnassingbe postponed parliamentary elections last week, a move that only served to stir up the unrest. Then, on Tuesday, the government announced that it would go ahead with the elections after all, rescheduling them for April 29, just over a week later than the original date.

At the same time, the government warned opposition groups to scrap plans for three days of protests this week, declaring the rallies illegal. But protest leaders in the small West African nation have vowed to take to the streets on April 12 and 13 anyway, despite the recent arrests of nine opposition figures.

“Don’t touch my constitution. It’s our only guarantee of stability,” Gerard Djossou, a member of the Dynamique pour La Majorite du Peuple (DMP) alliance of parties and civil society organizations, told Al Jazeera. Unlike in 1992, when Togo’s constitution was approved by an overwhelming majority of voters on a high turnout, the people been given no say this time round, he said.

As elections approach, here’s the state of play in Togo politics at the moment.

Source: www.africanews.com , www.aljazeera.com