2 weeks ago
Voters successful Togo headed to nan polls connected Monday for parliamentary elections that trial support for a projected caller constitution that would scrap statesmanlike elections and springiness lawmakers nan powerfulness to take nan president.
The guidance and belief leaders opportunity nan authorities is an effort by President Faure Gnassingbe, successful agency since 2005, to prolong his rule. Lawmakers passed nan authorities successful March aft their instruction expired, and it is adjacent to being enacted.
REWRITTEN TOGO CONSTITUTION BUCKED BY CITIZENS, STOKES DICTATORIAL FEARS
The West African nation has been ruled by nan aforesaid family for 57 years, initially by Eyadema Gnassingbe and past his son. Faure Gnassingbe took agency aft elections that nan guidance described arsenic a sham. The guidance says nan projected caller constitution makes it apt that Gnassingbe will enactment connected erstwhile his instruction expires successful 2025.
A elector casts her ballot successful Togo's location elections successful nan superior Lome, Monday, April 29, 2024. Togolese voters headed to nan polls connected Monday to ballot successful nan country's parliamentary elections, which will trial support for a projected caller constitution that would scrap early statesmanlike elections and springiness lawmakers nan powerfulness to take nan president instead. (AP Photo/Erick Kaglan)
Authorities cracked down connected civic and media freedoms up of Monday's vote. Early this month, nan authorities banned protests against nan projected caller constitution and nan apprehension of guidance figures. The electoral committee has banned nan Catholic Church from deploying predetermination observers.
In mid-April, a French journalist who arrived to screen nan elections was arrested, assaulted and expelled. Togo's media regulator later suspended nan legalization process for overseas journalists.
"We are participating successful these elections because we person nary alternative," Jean-Pierre Fabre, an guidance statement candidate, told The Associated Press. He added that he was worried astir nan evident debased elector turnout and fairness of nan electoral process.
Some 4.2 cardinal Togolese were registered to ballot successful nan state of astir 8 cardinal people. Voters were electing candidates for 113 parliamentary seats — 22 much than successful nan erstwhile assembly — and for nan first clip filling 179 senatorial positions. Preliminary results were expected wrong six days.
Togo’s authorities sealed nan borders connected Monday for information reasons and dispatched immoderate 12,000 gendarmes and constabulary officers to safeguard nan voting process.
Amid a emergence successful nan dispersed of disinformation during elections successful West Africa, authorities warned against disseminating mendacious results aliases different misleading news.
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One voter, Kpedji Kossi Nicabou Sena, said he was voting retired of interest for nan projected alteration to nan constitution. "This year’s ballot is simply a important vote, it’s a ballot that tin make a quality for my country," he said.
Yao Alexandre Adabrah, a national surviving overseas who returned to vote, echoed nan concerns: "We don’t nan cognize nan consequences of nan caller constitution that’s coming."
