2024 Togolese parliamentary election explained

Parliamentary elections were held in Togo on 29 April 2024 to elect the 113 members of the National Assembly,[1] [2] alongside the first regional elections in the country.[3] The ruling Union for the Republic won 108 of the 113 seats.

Background

Togo's political life is dominated by the ruling Union for the Republic (UNIR), whose leader Faure Gnassingbé has been in power since the death of his father Gnassingbé Eyadéma in 2005. Faure Gnassingbé was initially interim president before being elected to the presidency later the same year, then re-elected in 2010 and 2015. This "dynastic democracy" is maintained from election to election through the repression of the opposition, election fraud and the modification of the constitution.[4] [5]

The previous parliamentary elections in 2018 were boycotted by the C14 Alliance, the main opposition group of fourteen parties, following irregularities in the preparation of the vote and the refusal of Gnassingbé to abandon his constitutional revision project.[6] [7] Gnassingbé had aimed to reinstate the limit on the number of presidential terms while "resetting it to zero", allowing him to remain in power beyond his third term, which ended in 2020.[8] The 2018 parliamentary election campaign was marked by repression against demonstrators, and several deaths, including at least three by gunfire, were reported, leading the government to ban all marches or public gatherings in mid-December.[9] In the absence of any real opponents, UNIR retained its absolute majority, winning 59 of the 91 seats. The parliament also saw a sharp increase in the number of independent deputies, with 18 winning seats. The Union of Forces for Change (UFC) and four other groups shared the remaining seats.[10]

Despite the absolute majority obtained, the election result was initially considered a failure for UNIR as it failed to win the four-fifths majority of seats necessary for a constitutional amendment to be passed by parliamentary means alone. However, on 8 May 2019 the government passed a constitutional amendment almost unanimously, which allowed Gnassingbé to remain in office until 2030.[11] Gnassingbé was unsurprisingly re-elected in the first round of the 2020 presidential elections with more than 70% of the vote, a result contested by the opposition which accused the government of electoral fraud.[12] On 25 March the Constitutional Court validated 2,350 applications for 113 seats.[13]

Date

The election was initially supposed to be held on 13 April 2024 before being postponed by President Gnassingbé to 20 April, with campaigning to run from 4 to 18 April.[14] [15] On 3 April, Gnassingbé again ordered the indefinite postponement of the election to allow "consultations" over a controversial attempt at constitutional reform that would replace the presidential system with a parliamentary one, place executive powers in the office of the prime minister, and replace the direct election of the presidency with a vote by parliament.[16] [17] In response, four opposition parties and a civil society group called for protests to be held from 11 to 13 April and described the postponement as a maneuver by the regime to "endorse its own constitutional coup".[18] On 9 April, the government announced that the election would be held on 29 April.[1] It also banned a planned protest by opposition groups against the postponement and the constitutional amendments scheduled on 11 to 13 April.[19]

Electoral system

The 113 members of the National Assembly are elected by closed list proportional representation from 39 multi-member constituencies ranging in size from two to ten seats. Seats are allocated using the highest averages method.[20] Nearly 4.2 million Togolese are registered to vote.[21] Of the 2,348 candidates for the legislative elections, 593 of them are women, while 438 women are also running in regional elections.[22] Campaigning began on 13 April[23] and ran until 28 April.[24]

Observers

Foreign journalists were barred by Togolese authorities from covering the election.[25] Thomas Dietrich, a French journalist who tried to cover the election was arrested, assaulted and expelled from the country.[26] On 23 April, the Catholic Church's request to deploy observers during the vote was rejected by the Electoral Commission.[27] ECOWAS said that it would send observers to monitor the election[28] and deployed a “pre-election assessment” team.[29] The African Union was also allowed to send an observer mission.[30]

Conduct

Voting at around 14,200 polling stations ran from 07:00 to 16:00 on 29 April, with provisional results expected by 5 May.[31] Some voters reported that the process was disorganized, and some were unable to find their names on the register.[32] The country's borders were closed, while 12,000 members of the security forces were deployed to safeguard the voting process.[26] Concerns were raised over aspects of the election and turnout. An opposition spokesperson compared the lack of "real opposition" in the election to the political situation in North Korea. Turnout also varied per region, with areas of Lomé recording a minimum of 33% participation in voting while UNIR strongholds in the north of the country registered turnouts reaching 97%.[33]

Results

Provisional results showed by the Togolese electoral commission on 4 May showed that UNIR had won 108 of the 113 seats in parliament, while turnout was estimated at 61%.[34] UNIR also won 137 out of 179 regional councillors in the regional elections held the same day.[35] The results were validated by the Constitutional Court on 14 May.[36]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 10 April 2024 . Togo schedules delayed legislative elections for April 29 . 10 April 2024 . France 24 . en . 10 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240410013842/https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20240410-togo-schedules-delayed-legislative-elections-for-april-29 . live .
  2. Web site: 2024-04-10 . Togo delays legislative and regional polls until Apr. 29 . 2024-04-10 . Africanews . en . 2024-04-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240410175128/https://www.africanews.com/2024/04/10/togo-delays-legislative-and-regional-polls-until-apr-29/ . live .
  3. Web site: 2023-04-05 . Les élections régionales au Togo : Que comprendre et retenir ? . 2024-04-05 . Afreepress . fr-FR . 2024-02-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240223134205/https://afreepress.tg/2023/04/05/les-elections-au-togo-que-comprendre-et-retenir/ . live .
  4. Web site: 2010-04-10 . Togo: La démocratie dynastique . 2024-02-09 . lejdd.fr . fr . 2024-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240119200303/https://www.lejdd.fr/International/Togo-La-democratie-dynastique-185139-3274079 . live .
  5. Web site: 2020-02-20 . Le Togo, symbole de cette Afrique de l'Ouest où on prend les mêmes et on recommence . 2024-02-09 . France Inter . fr . 2024-01-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240119200221/https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/podcasts/le-monde-a-l-envers/le-togo-symbole-de-cette-afrique-de-l-ouest-ou-on-prend-les-memes-et-on-recommence-2493684 . live .
  6. Web site: 2018-12-18 . Législatives tendues au Togo . 2024-02-09 . Les Echos . fr . 2024-02-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240206100523/https://www.lesechos.fr/monde/afrique-moyen-orient/legislatives-tendues-au-togo-239679 . live .
  7. Web site: 2018-12-01 . Togo : Plus de 500 000 Togolais dans les rues à Lomé ce samedi . 2024-02-09 . Togo Actualite – Premier site d'information du Togo . fr-FR . 2024-02-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240206100525/https://togoactualite.com/togo-plus-de-500-000-togolais-dans-les-rues-a-lome-ce-samedi/ . live .
  8. News: 2017-09-19 . Togo : la très controversée réforme constitutionnelle sera votée par référendum . 2024-02-09 . Le Monde.fr . fr . 2023-05-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230503060227/https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2017/09/19/togo-la-tres-controversee-reforme-constitutionnelle-sera-votee-par-referendum_5188031_3212.html . live .
  9. Web site: 2018-12-18 . Législatives au Togo: les militaires votent par anticipation . 2024-02-09 . RFI . fr . 2024-02-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240206100522/https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20181218-togo-vote-anticipation-militaires-forces-defense . live .
  10. Web site: 2018-12-22 . Togo-Législatives 2018 : voici les résultats provisoires complets . 2024-02-09 . L-FRII . fr-FR . 2024-02-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240206100524/https://l-frii.com/togo-legislatives-2018-voici-les-resultats-provisoires-complets/ . live .
  11. News: 2019-05-09 . Au Togo, le président Faure Gnassingbé pourra se représenter aux élections de 2020 et 2025 . 2024-02-09 . Le Monde.fr . fr . 2023-05-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230506134642/https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2019/05/09/au-togo-le-president-faure-gnassingbe-pourra-se-representer-aux-elections-de-2020-et-2025_5460093_3212.html . live .
  12. Web site: 2021-04-30 . Benin Web TV – Actualités et Infos du Bénin, d'Afrique et à l'International . 2024-02-09 . Bénin Web TV . fr-FR . 2024-02-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240206100523/https://archives.beninwebtv.com/ . live .
  13. Web site: 2024-03-25 . Afrique Élections législatives au Togo: la Cour constitutionnelle valide 2 350 candidats pour 113 sièges . 2024-03-25 . rfi.fr . fr-FR . 2024-03-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240325012221/https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20240325-%C3%A9lections-l%C3%A9gislatives-au-togo-la-cour-constitutionnelle-valide-2-350-candidats-pour-113-si%C3%A8ges . live .
  14. Web site: 2024-02-24 . Togolese President Delays Legislative Vote by a Week . 2024-03-03 . Voice of America . en . 2024-03-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240303215217/https://www.voaafrica.com/a/togolese-president-delays-legislative-vote-by-a-week/7501109.html . live .
  15. Web site: 2024-02-26 . Les élections législatives et régionales reportées au 20 avril prochain . 2024-03-03 . lomebougeinfo . fr-FR . 2024-03-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240303215228/https://lomebougeinfo.tg/les-elections-legislatives-et-regionales-reportees-au-20-avril-prochain/ . live .
  16. Web site: 2024-04-04 . Togo’s 20 April parliamentary elections postponed indefinitely amid constitutional controversy . 2024-04-05 . The North Africa Post . en-US . 2024-04-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240404174709/https://northafricapost.com/76362-togos-20-april-parliamentary-elections-postponed-indefinitely-amid-constitutional-controversy.html . live .
  17. Web site: 4 April 2024 . Togo postpones elections after new constitution row . 4 April 2024 . BBC . en . 4 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240404134704/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68714024 . live .
  18. Web site: 5 April 2024 . Togo opposition calls for mass protest over legislative elections delay . 5 April 2024 . France 24 . en . 5 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240405013711/https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20240405-togo-opposition-calls-for-mass-protest-over-legislative-elections-delay . live .
  19. Web site: 10 April 2024 . Togo bans protests over a canceled presidential election as tensions rise . 10 April 2024 . Associated Press . en . 10 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240410125429/https://apnews.com/article/togo-protests-opposition-arrests-election-vote-1f53fbe3c9c355c85b1052d4b7125895 . live .
  20. Web site: Electoral system. Inter-Parliamentary Union. 2023-01-05. 2019-08-25. https://web.archive.org/web/20190825013726/http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/2315_B.htm. live.
  21. Web site: 10 April 2024 . Togo: Govt delays Apr. 20 polls, consultations launched in wake of controversial reform . 10 April 2024 . Africanews . en . 10 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240410015808/https://www.africanews.com/2024/04/09/togo-govt-delays-apr-20-polls-consultations-launched-in-wake-of-controversial-reform/ . live .
  22. Web site: 23 April 2024 . Togo: Women candidates campaign ahead legislative and regional elections . 24 April 2024 . Africanews . en . 23 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240423222930/https://www.africanews.com/2024/04/23/togo-women-candidates-campaign-for-more-seats-ahead-legislative-and-regional-elections// . live .
  23. Web site: 13 April 2024 . Togo: Campaigns begin for upcoming legislative and regional elections . 14 April 2024 . Africanews . en . 13 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240413192623/https://www.africanews.com/2024/04/13/togo-campaigns-begin-for-upcoming-legislative-and-regional-elections/ . live .
  24. Web site: 29 April 2024 . Campaigning in Togo ends Sunday ahead of legislative and regional elections . 29 April 2024 . Africanews . en . 29 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240429045536/https://www.africanews.com/2024/04/28/campaigning-in-togo-ends-sunday-ahead-of-legislative-and-regional-elections// . live .
  25. Web site: 26 April 2024 . Togo heads to 'controversial' legislative polls on Monday . 26 April 2024 . Africanews . en . 26 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240426090546/https://www.africanews.com/2024/04/26/togo-an-election-fraught-with-controversy/ . live .
  26. Web site: 30 April 2024 . Togo votes in parliamentary election testing support for proposal that could keep dynasty in power . 30 April 2024 . Associated Press . en .
  27. Web site: 23 April 2024 . Élections au Togo: la demande d'observateurs de l'Église catholique refusée . 23 April 2024 . www.rfi.fr . fr . 23 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240423215233/https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20240423-%C3%A9lections-au-togo-la-demande-d-observateurs-de-l-%C3%A9glise-catholique-refus%C3%A9e . live .
  28. Web site: 29 April 2024 . Togo votes in key parliament ballot after divisive reforms . 30 April 2024 . RFI . en .
  29. Web site: 29 April 2024 . Togo’s parliamentary election: Why all eyes are on President Gnassingbe . 30 April 2024 . Al Jazeera . en .
  30. Web site: 30 April 2024 . Counting underway in Togo's pivotal parliamentary election . 30 April 2024 . Africanews . en .
  31. Web site: Polls open in Togo parliamentary elections ahead of proposed controversial reforms . Africanews . 30 April 2024.
  32. Web site: Lawson . Alice . Tadegnon . Noel Kokou . Togo votes for a new parliament with stronger say in governance . Reuters . 29 April 2024.
  33. Web site: Eric . Kaglan . Togo’s ruling party wins a majority in parliament, likely keeping a dynasty in power . Associated Press . 6 May 2024.
  34. Web site: Togo ruling party wins big parliamentary majority in boost for Gnassingbe . France 24 . 5 May 2024.
  35. Web site: Togo's president signs law expected to extend his decades-long rule . Africanews . 8 May 2024.
  36. Web site: Togo: la Cour constitutionnelle confirme les résultats des législatives . Radio France International. 14 May 2024.

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