Togo’s national election commission on Wednesday barred a main independent observer group from monitoring the country’s presidential election, just days before the vote is set to take place, reported News 24.
The commission said it had canceled the accreditation of the National Consultation of Civil Society of Togo to deploy their 500 observers nationwide, accusing it of “preparing to carry out interference” in the vote. The authorities have also blocked monitors from the Catholic Church from observing the election.
Notably, the incumbent president Faure Gnassingbe is expected to win Saturday’s elections, extending his family’s rule despite a wave of anti-government protests in 2017 and 2018. The 53-year-old Faure took office in 2005 after the death of his father Eyadema Gnassingbe, who ruled Togo for 38 long years after seizing power in a coup in 1967.
Some eight million people came together to protest against the government in 2017 and 2018 demanding Gnassingbe to step down. But, a fierce government crackdown and splits among the opposition dampened the protests.
President Faure pushed through constitutional changes in May enabling him to stand again this year, and potentially stay in office until 2030. The constitutional change extends the presidential mandate to two five-year terms but does not take into account the three terms Gnassingbe has already served.
Gnassingbe looks to swat aside his rival contenders in the election.
“The opposition was able to build a popular movement to worry the regime but then was not able to capitalize on it,” said opposition politician Nathaniel Olympio, who is not running in the election.”It shot itself in the foot.”
In recent years the Togo president has started a flagship programme to bring electricity to rural areas and made it a key priority to secure his country against the jihadist threat from the Sahel. But, despite the efforts, Togo still has a poverty rate of around 50 percent and is ranked 167th of 189 countries on the UN’s human development index.
