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Togo
At stake: President
Background
Togo achieved its independence from France in 1960. The African nation picked Sylvanus Olympio as its first president one year later. In 1963, Olympio was assassinated in a coup and replaced by Nicolas Grunitzky.
In 1967, head of the armed forces Gnassingbé Eyadema took power. Eyadema would remain as the country's head of state for more than three decades.
In 1991, following widespread demonstrations, the president amended the constitution and allowed multi-party elections. Two years later, the European Union (EU) stopped all aid to Togo over the country's poor democratic and human rights records. The 1998 elections—which saw many protests within the country—were deemed as a farce by international observers.
Eyadema—representing the Rassemblement du Peuple Togolais (RPT—Rally of the Togolese People)—won a new five-year term in the June 2003 presidential election.
Click here for Togo 2003 Presidential Election Tracker
2005 Presidential Election
On Feb. 5, 2005, Gnassingbé Eyadema died of a heart attack at the age of 69 while being flown to France for emergency medical treatment. The Togolese military announced one of the late president's sons, Faure Gnassingbé, would be taking over as head of state.
In accordance with the country's constitution, National Assembly speaker Fambare Natchaba Ouattara should have been named interim president and a new election should have been called. Ouattara was prevented from returning to the country from neighbouring Benin after the army closed Togo's borders.
On Feb. 6, the sudden transfer of power was condemned by the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). European Union (EU) aid commissioner Louis Michel called for "the strict respect of procedures foreseen by the constitution."
Gnassingbé took the oath of office on Feb. 7, promising to hold "free and transparent elections which reflect the will of the people." The constitution was quickly amended to allow the new head of state to serve until 2008. The United Nations (UN), European officials and the United States government criticized the move to install Eyadema's son as Togo's head of state.
On Feb. 21, the legislative branch achieved a compromise and cleared the way for a fresh presidential ballot. Four days later, Gnassingbé resigned, allowing first deputy speaker Abass Bonfoh to become acting president.
On Mar. 3, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) set Apr. 24 as the date for the presidential election. Gnassingbé announced he would become a candidate for the ruling Rassemblement du Peuple Togolais (RPT—Rally of the Togolese People).
On Mar. 18, an Amnesty International report denounced "extrajudicial executions, arbitrary arrests, blind repression (...) threats of rape, and repeated threats and intimidation of the private media" in the early stages of the presidential campaign.
On Mar. 19, opposition leader Gilchrist Olympio returned to Togo after living in exile for seven years. Olympio—whose father Sylvanus was killed during the 1963 coup—was not able to run for president since contenders are required to live in Togo for at least one year prior to the election. The opposition politician called for a fair ballot, saying, "We want equitable measures to be put in place, at least to reduce the magnitude of fraud during the elections."
Oympio openly endorsed fellow member of the Union des Forces de Changement (UFC—Union of Forces for Change) Emmanuel Bob Akitani as a presidential contender. Akitani finished second to Eyadema in the 2003 election, with 33.69 per cent of all cast ballots.
Six political parties formed a coalition to support the 75-year-old Akitani. UFC secretary-general Jean Pierre Fabre said the country would have a hard time organizing the election, declaring, "We are ready to participate, but we are not we are not suicidal, we are going to remain vigilant."
Olympio's cousin Harry Olympio announced he would seek the presidency, and criticized the six-party coalition for settling on Akitani, who he described as "an old man who is not capable of running a hectic race." The younger Olympio commanded the Rassemblement pour le soutien de la démocratie et du développement (RSDD—Rally for Democracy and Development.
On Mar. 26, close to 2,000 opposition supporters marched through Lome demanding a delay in the presidential election. Some parties complained that it was impossible to launch a successful campaign in such a short time. Leopold Gnininvi of the Convention Démocratique des Peuples Africains (CDPA—Democratic Convention of the African People) said, "We will continue to fight for better organization, but we will go to the polls and we ask opposition supporters to go and register on electoral lists."
On Mar. 31, opposition supporters attacked a television crew from state-owned TVT that was covering a UFC rally.
On Apr. 1, law enforcement officers clashed with protesters who complained they were not allowed to receive voting cards. Interior minister François Akila Esso Boko blamed the problems on young voters, who "don't have the required ID papers to be issued with cards but won't accept the rules."
On Apr. 7, Togo's Constitutional Court approved four contenders for the presidential election: Gnassingbé, Akitani, Olympio and Nicolas Lawson of the Parti pour le Renouveau et la Rédemption (PRR—Party for Renewal and Redemption). Esso Boko said that 2.16 million citizens had already received voter cards.
On Apr. 21, Esso Boko surprisingly called for the postponement of the election. Interim president Bonfoh enacted a cabinet reshuffle and removed Esso Boko from his post as interior minister, saying, "I have a mission to organize elections within 60 days in line with the constitution."
On Apr. 22, United States State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli expressed "deep concern" about the allegations "that call into question the credibility of this Sunday's presidential election."
On Apr. 23, Lawson withdrew his candidacy, citing Esso Boko's statements. At least seven people died in campaign-related protests.
Voting took place on Apr. 24. At least three people died and 20 more were injured during several clashes between security forces and supporters of the opposition.
On Apr. 25, Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo declared that Gnassingbé and Gilchrist Olympio had agreed to form a unity government, regardless of the presidential ballot's outcome.
Results were released on Apr. 26. Gnassingbé was declared the winner with 60.22 per cent of the vote, followed by Akitani with 38.19 per cent. Violent street protests continued after CENI chairperson Kissem Thangai Walla issued the preliminary announcement.
From Paris, Gilchrist Olympio, said there had been "massive fraud." UFC secretary-general Fabre declared, "This regime must understand that we will never accept Mr. Faure Gnassingbé as president of the republic because neither his father, nor him, could win a normal election in Togo."
On Apr. 26, Akitani declared himself president, asking his supporters to "remain mobilized" and claiming the election was rigged. At least 11 people died in Lome during public protests.
On Apr. 27, the United States State Department said the "legitimacy of Togo's presidential elections fell short of the aspirations of the Togolese people and the expectations of Togo's friends in the international community" and called for the "formation of a national reconciliation government in Togo, with the participation of the principal political forces in the country."
On May 3, Togo's Constitutional Court certified the results of the election, rejecting claims from the opposition that the ballot had been rigged. Gilchrist Olympio ruled out joining a coalition administration, saying, "The only way out is to have a transitional or interim government for six months to prepare real presidential and legislative elections, with the presidency to alternate monthly."
On May 4, Gnassingbé was sworn in at a ceremony in Lome.
On May 25, Gnassingbé signed an official decree to create a "special national independent commission of inquiry into the acts of violence and vandalism" that took place before and after the presidential election. The 10-member commission will be headed by former prime minister Joseph Kokou Koffigoh.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 33,000 people have fled to neighbouring Benin and Ghana since the ballot took place.
On Jun. 8, Edem Kodjo took over as prime minister. The 67-year-old Kodjo—who previously served as head of government under Eyadema—is regarded for the introduction of positive economic policies in the 1990s. Kodjo is a member of the Convergence patriotique panafricaine (CPP—Patriotic Pan-African Convergence).
On Sept. 26, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour released a report which claims that between 400 and 500 people died in Togo's election-related clashes. Arbour described the human rights violations as "massive" in "nature and gravity."Political Players
President: Faure Gnassingbé - RPT
Prime minister: Edem Kodjo - CPP
The president is elected by popular vote to a five-year term.
Legislative Branch: The Assemblée Nationale (National Assembly) has 81 members, elected to five-year terms in single-seat constituencies.
Results of Last Election:
President - Apr. 24, 2005|
Vote% |
|
|
Faure Gnassingbé - |
60.22% |
|
Emmanuel Bob Akitani - |
38.19% |
|
Harry Olympio - |
0.55% |
National Assembly - Oct. 27, 2002
|
Seats |
|
|
Rassemblement du Peuple Togolais |
72 |
|
Rassemblement pour le soutien de la démocratie et du développement |
3 |
|
Union pour la démocratie et le progrès social |
2 |
|
Juvento |
1 |
|
Mouvement des croyants pour l'égalité et la paix |
1 |
|
Non-partisans |
1 |
