Activists and opposition leaders in Togo have called for protests to prevent the country’s president from signing a new constitutional reform that would eliminate future presidential elections and potentially allow Faure Gnassingbé to prolong his rule.
The constitution, recently passed by Togo’s lawmakers but pending President Faure Gnassingbé’s approval, grants parliament the authority to select the president, abolishing direct elections. This scenario increases the likelihood of Gnassingbé’s reelection when his current mandate ends in 2025.
While some legal experts argue that the constitution limits the power of future presidents by introducing a one-term restriction and empowering a figure akin to a prime minister, known officially as the president of the council of ministers, the opposition fears this role could serve as another avenue for Gnassingbé to maintain control.
Under the proposed constitution, the president of the council of ministers will be either “the leader of the party winning the majority in legislative elections” or the leader of the winning coalition of parties. This position will have a six-year term with no term limit.
Additionally, the new constitution extends presidential terms from five to six years, with Gnassingbé’s nearly 20-year tenure not counting towards the term limit.
The Catholic Christian clergy has urged the president not to sign the bill into law, emphasising the need for broad consultation and inclusive national debate on such a significant matter. They also stressed that modifying the constitution during the ongoing campaign period is inappropriate.
Despite the passage of constitutional reform by lawmakers on March 25th, it remains uncertain when the changes will take effect.
In response, Eric Dupuy, a spokesperson for the opposition National Alliance for Change party, vowed to resist what he termed a “constitutional coup d’état” and called on the population to vigorously reject and oppose it. However, on March 27th, police disrupted a news conference organised by the opposition, ejecting leaders and journalists from the venue.
Zeus Ajavon, a constitutional law lecturer at the University of Lome, argued that the Assembly lacks the authority to revise the constitution, asserting that this power is vested in it during its term of office. Ajavon also insisted that a referendum is necessary for the adoption of a new constitution.
Togo, with a population of approximately 8 million, has been under the rule of the same family for 57 years, first by Eyadema Gnassingbé and later by his son, Faure Gnassingbé, who has been in power since 2005 amid allegations of electoral fraud.