Voters in Togo are out in their number on Monday to vote in delayed parliamentary and regional elections despite tensions over a new constitution extending the president’s term.
Opposition parties urged their supporters to turn out in high numbers, as they renounced the reform passed by lawmakers last week as a ruse to keep President Faure Gnassingbé – already in his fourth term in power.
About four million voters will choose 113 lawmakers and 179 regional deputies who along with municipal councillors will install a newly created senate.
The constitutional amendment will allow Gnassingbé to remain president until 2031, critics say, after which he could be appointed to the new position of “president of the council of ministers” in effect prime minister which will keep his family’s 57-year rule.
While the elections were initially slated for April 20, they were postponed by Gnassingbé to allow for “consultations”.
Some critics have expressed doubts about the credibility of the election after the authorities temporarily stopped election accreditation for foreign press, AFP news agency reported.
The Conference of Togolese Catholic Bishops, which criticised the reform, was also blocked from deploying election observers.
Opposition parties boycotted Togo’s last election and are poorly represented in parliament, which led to the disputed reform passing almost unanimously. This time, they have urged their supporters to turn out for the vote in high numbers.