Faure Seeks a Fourth Term in Togo’s Elections in February
Faure Gnassingbé, who has been the president of Togo since 2005, is expected to seek his fourth term in office when Togo holds elections in February next year. Faure initially came to power following the death of his father, Gnassingbé Eyadéma. Eyadéma seized power in 1967 through a military coup and remained in power in Togo until he died. Since 2005, Faure has continued his father’s bloody and brutal tactics to retain power over the Togolese people.
The Gnassingbé dynasty is currently the oldest military dictatorship in Africa and this regime has been fighting for survival over the last few years. In 2014, protests in Burkina Faso put an end to the dictatorship there and the presidential elections in the Gambia in 2016 brought an end to the dictatorship there. In the meantime, Faure’s regime has been fighting very hard to remain in power, especially after the massive protests that began around the country in 2017. Since then the government has had to make a number of concessions, including reinstating presidential term limits and once again holding local elections. These reforms were merely implemented to prolong Faure’s time in power, however. For instance, the term limits are not retroactive so Faure can remain in power for two more terms, after already having served three terms as president.
It is clear that the people of Togo want change, although achieving this change through elections will be difficult since Togo is a country that is known for electoral irregularities, including tampering with votes and intimidating opposition leaders. It is for this reason that some in Togo have been calling for election reforms to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections in Togo. No electoral reforms have been implemented thus far, however.
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Dwayne is the author of several books on the history and experiences of African people, both on the continent and in the diaspora. His books are available through Amazon. You can also follow Dwayne on Facebook and Twitter.
