The ECOWAS Commission is dispatching a seven-member fact-finding mission to Togo to engage with key stakeholders ahead of the country’s legislative and regional elections scheduled for April 29, 2024.
Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, emphasised the necessity of this mission in light of growing concerns surrounding the government’s proposed constitutional reforms.
The decision to deploy the mission was also prompted by an earlier invitation extended by the Togolese government. The team is led by Maman Sidikou, former head of the AU Mission in Mali and the Sahel.
Originally slated for April 13, the elections were subsequently postponed to April 20 and then further delayed to April 29 due to political uncertainties.
The proposed reforms, ratified by the National Assembly, aim to transition Togo’s political system from a presidential to a parliamentary model.
According to the constitutional changes, members of Parliament will elect the president, who will then appoint the President of the Council of Ministers with executive powers, akin to a Prime Minister in the Westminster system.
The president will be selected from the party or coalition holding a parliamentary majority. The mission is expected to present its findings by April 20, 2024.