The ruling party in Togo, the Republic Party (UNIR) has won overwhelmingly in the country’s parliamentary elections held on 29 April.
As reported by Africanews, provisional results published late Saturday by the electoral commission showed UNIR had won 108 out of the 113 seats in parliament.
The results make it possible for President Faure Gnassingbé to extend his 19-year rule, under a controversial new constitution approved in April.
It will allow Gnassingbé to take the newly created post of “president of the council of ministers”, a role similar to the prime minister that is automatically assumed by the leader of the majority party in parliament.
Under the previous constitution, Gnassingbé would have been able to run for president just one more time.
This would have potentially allowed him to stay on as the President, for a five-year term starting in 2025.
Opposition parties argue that the new post will allow Gnassingbé to avoid these terms limits and extend his family’s decades-long grip on power, as long UNIR continues winning most seats in the national assembly.
Regional election observers expressed overall satisfaction with the conduct of the election, while opposition parties raised concerns about alleged irregularities.
Gnassingbé took control of Togo in 2005 when his father, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, died after ruling the country for almost 40 years.
Togo, officially known as the Togolese Republic, is a country located in West Africa and is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east, and Burkina Faso to the north.
Togo’s economy relies primarily on agriculture, although its extensive phosphate reserves also play a significant role.
As of 2024, the estimated population of Togo is approximately 9,260,864 people.
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