Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lome (Fides Service) – On June 1st there will be a presidential election in Togo a country situated on the Gulf of Guinea and which shares borders with Ghana, Benin and Burkina Faso. The election is important and there is tension because President Gnassingbe Eyadema has been in power for 36 years. In recent times Togo has been at the centre of a relatively stable zone and it would be a shame if political tension were to give rise to violence. This is why the Catholic Bishops of Togo have launched an appeal calling for a truly democratic and free election. In a message entitled “In truth let us build peace” the Bishops underline “the impelling need to create conditions for an authentic choice, and therefore effectively free and transparent elections ”. The Bishops denounce changes made to the Constitution in order to allow the President to be election again after a second term of office: “The rules of the game have been carefully modified in favour of one side and this has led to a profound change in the basic law elaborated and accepted by the people…It cannot be said in honesty that these alterations have strengthened national unity. On the contrary uncertainty prevails and the general impression is that peace and security are threatened”. The Bishops call for “authentic conversion. We launch a vibrant appeal to political leaders to join forces again to take measures to lead us to an authentic peace…. To put aside divergences, selfish interests, personal ambitions, and give priority to the higher interests of the nation, the common good, the wellbeing of all the Togolese people and the prosperity of the nation”.
An appeal has also been issued by NGO Franciscans International to the international community to guarantee fair elections. In a press statement issued in Geneva Franciscans International says: “The previous elections in 1993, 1994 and 1998 were marked by massive violation of human rights. In the absence of international involvement in the area similar violation may also take place in the elections this year”.
In view of this Franciscans International calls on the international signers of the Lome Agreement to “exert pressure on the Togo government to respect human rights; release political prisoners; guarantee security of civil society and in particular the Opposition; guarantee access to the media for all; re-establish the role of the independent National Electoral Commission”.
The Lome Agreement was signed after the 1998 elections which were contested by the Opposition. The agreement, reached with the mediation of France, Germany, the European Union and French-speaking countries in Africa, commits all Togolese parties to set up a National Electoral Commission to guarantee free and democratic elections.
In November 2002, a report by the United Nations Committee for Human Rights denounced violation of freedom of speech and press in Togo.
Since 1967 Togo has been governed by President Gnassingbe Eyadema who for over 30 years imposed a one party regime of the Rassemblement du Peuple Togolais RPT. In the early 1990s there was a turning point with multi-party elections in 1993 during which however the Opposition denounce fraud by Eyadema who since 1993 has always been re-elected.
In 2001 Eyadema announced he would retire from political life before the end of 2003, in keeping with the Constitution which foresees only two presidential terms of office But on 30 December 2002 Parliament, dominated by the RTP, changed this rule to allow Eyadema to present himself for these 2003 elections.
The main opponent Gilchrist Olympo, leader of the Union de Forces du Changement UFC has been excluded from the electoral competition. The Independent National Electoral Commission has in fact decided that Olympo failed represent a certificate of residence and a recent tax declaration. The Constitution also states that a candidate for presidency must have resided in Togo for at least 12 months prior to the elections and have fiscal income in the country. Olympo has lived for a long time in exile and returned to Togo only on 27 April this year. LM (Fides Service 20/5/2003 EM lines 50 Words: 605)
