Togo has officially rescheduled its legislative elections for April 29th, following a delay caused by a highly contentious constitutional reform, as stated in a government announcement on Tuesday.
Originally slated for April 20th, the elections were postponed to allow for consultations regarding the reform, which opposition parties viewed as an attempt to prolong President Faure Gnassingbe’s tenure.
A statement from the presidency, issued after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, confirmed the new election date: “Monday, April 29.”
The proposed constitutional changes have sparked debates concerning Gnassingbe’s rule. He has been in power since 2005, succeeding his father, who governed for three decades following a military coup.
Opposition parties have yet to release official statements regarding the revised election schedule. However, the cabinet announcement coincides with plans by opposition groups to stage street protests against the constitutional reform and the election postponement.
Despite the government’s denial of a protest permit earlier in the day, opposition groups, including the National Alliance for Change (ANC), intend to proceed with demonstrations on Friday and Saturday, albeit in a reduced capacity.
Street protests have been prohibited in Togo since 2022, following an incident in Lome where a gendarme was killed during an attack on a market.
Opposition leaders are calling for the withdrawal of the recently passed constitutional reform, which grants the National Assembly the authority to directly elect the president “without debate.”
Tensions surrounding the reform have led to the dispersal of a recent opposition press conference by the police, as well as the emergence of calls for protests from influential figures.
