Analyst weighs in on what to expect: On Saturday, Togo’s parliamentary election campaigns kicked out, adding fuel to the fire after the president tried to pass a constitution that would do away with presidential elections completely and caused them to be postponed.
April 29 is the date of the legislative elections.
The ANC has been planning demonstrations for weeks, but the government has banned them due to fears of “disturbing public order.” As a result, some of the protests have been called off.
By presenting a program of transformation, the African National Congress (ANC) hopes to win over voters and gain a majority in the National Assembly of the country. Campaigning has also begun for President Faure Gnassingbé’s 2012-founded Union for the Republic party.
From his office, political analyst Paul Amegakpo of Lome’s Tamberma Institute for Governance said that the opposition may be able to gain a number of seats in the national legislature in these elections.
He told us, “Those in power now might not secure the four out of five, which is the required quota, to change the constitution.”
The president will lose the power to delay or cancel elections under the constitution if the current ruling party does not change it in the National Assembly.
Over two thousand people, representing various political parties and independents, are vying for a total of 179 positions on regional councils and 113 seats in parliament, according to Africanews correspondent Noël Tadegnon.
Prior to Monday, April 29, they have a two-week opportunity to convince four million voters.
