With legislative elections looming in Togo, opposition and civil society groups are grappling with a difficult decision: whether to mobilize despite fears of repression following the approval of a controversial constitutional reform.
Lawmakers recently gave the green light to a reform that transitions Togo from a presidential to a parliamentary system, a move vehemently opposed by opposition parties.
They argue that this reform will enable President Faure Gnassingbe to solidify his hold on power, as it introduces a new prime minister-style position that could allow him to circumvent term limits.
“We shouldn’t expect much from the elections… the ruling party has nothing to fear,” remarked Jean Yaovi Degli, a lawyer and former parliament relations minister, speaking to AFP.
Despite ongoing campaigning, hopes for a political transition after the April 29 election, which has been postponed multiple times by the government, appear dim.
According to Michel Goeh-Akue, a historian with ties to the opposition, “An opposition victory would be very difficult unless there were a revolution.” He also expressed concerns about the electoral process, citing a high risk of “ballot stuffing.”
Under the new system, lawmakers, rather than the public, will elect the president, whose role will become largely ceremonial with a four-year term.
The real power will shift to the newly created position of president of the council of ministers, akin to a prime minister, who would lead the majority party in the assembly.
Currently, parliament is dominated by Gnassingbe’s UNIR party, which argues that the shift to a parliamentary system will enhance Togo’s democracy.
Gnassingbe, who has been in power since 2005 following his father’s lengthy rule after a coup, faces growing opposition.
The Togolese Bishops’ Conference, whose attempt to deploy election observers was rejected by the Electoral Commission, expressed deep concern over the reform, calling it a “source of division and misunderstanding.”
Fifteen civil society organizations have denounced the reform as “illegitimate” and “illegal,” demanding a presidential election in 2025.
In response to the reform, plans for a rally in the capital, Lome, on May 5—the anniversary of Togo’s 1963 constitutional referendum—have been announced.
However, there are fears of repression, with street protests banned since 2022 after a gendarme was killed during an attack on the main market in Lome.
Opposition parties had previously planned anti-reform protests in April, but these were also banned by the authorities.
As tensions rise and the election date approaches, Togo remains on edge, with the outcome uncertain amid growing discontent and calls for change.
