Citizens in Togo are Opposing the New Constitution

The revised constitution of Togo has sparked concerns among the citizens, raising fears of a dictatorial regime. The proposed changes would allow Faure Gnassingbé to remain in power until 2031.
Protesters in Togo rallied on Wednesday to denounce a proposed constitution that would enable President Faure Gnassingbé to extend his rule. The activists and opposition leaders are urging citizens to join them in opposing the new constitution, which could potentially allow Gnassingbé to remain in power until 2031.
The proposed constitution, recently approved by the country’s lawmakers, eliminates the need for future presidential elections and grants parliament the authority to select the president. This move has raised concerns among critics who fear that it will only serve to consolidate Gnassingbé’s grip on power. If the constitution is enacted, it is highly likely that Gnassingbé will be reelected when his current term expires in 2025.
However, some legal experts argue that the new constitution actually curtails the authority of future presidents by introducing a one-term limit and allocating more power to a position resembling that of a prime minister. Despite this perspective, the opposition and activists remain steadfast in their opposition to the proposed changes, viewing them as a means for Gnassingbé to prolong his family’s decades-long rule.
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The constitution also extends presidential terms from five to six years but the almost 20-years that Gnassingbe has served in office, after taking over from his father, would not count towards that tally.

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES – 2017/09/09: A Togo national flag seen in front of the White House. Protesters gather in front of the White House to protest against Togo’s dictator Faure Gnassingbé. They demand fairness and openness in the upcoming election. (Photo by Rod Lamkey Jr/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The opposition and the clergy say the legislation is an effort by Gnassingbe to prolong his rule, and have promised to stop it from becoming law by calling on the people to rise up and protest.
“We know that the struggle will be long and hard, but together with the Togolese people, we will do everything we can to prevent this constitutional coup d’état,” said Eric Dupuy, a spokesman for the opposition National Alliance for Change party.
“We’re calling on the population to reject this, to oppose it massively,” he added.
A group representing Togo’s Catholic bishops said the parliament’s mandate had expired in December ahead of the country’s April 20 parliamentary elections and that the lawmakers had no right to adopt a new constitution.
The bishops urged Gnassingbe to delay signing off on the new constitution and instead engage in an inclusive political dialogue after next month’s balloting.
“The Assembly has no power to revise a constitution,” said Zeus Ajavon, a lecturer in Constitutional Law at the University of Lome. “The power to revise the constitution (Togo New Constitution) is vested in it during its term of office.”
Ajavon also argued that a referendum was necessary for the country to adopt a new constitution.
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Togo, a nation of around 8 million people, has been ruled by same family for 57 years, initially by Eyadema Gnassingbe and subsequently by his son. Faure Gnassingbe has been in office since 2005 after winning elections that the opposition described as a sham.