In Togo, the legislative term will end in three months, but no date has been set for the legislative and regional elections, which were supposed to be held by the end of the year. The opposition is worried and is calling for discussions to facilitate a peaceful transition in the country.
The absence of an electoral calendar is raising concerns among Togo’s opposition. They expressed their concerns during a press conference, emphasizing the need for these elections to be organized by the end of November at the latest, according to Brigitte Adjamagbo-Johnson, the coordinator of the coalition called the “Dynamique pour la majorité du peuple.” The opposition alliance had already criticized an incomplete voter registration process back in June. Now, they are calling for broader discussions on the conditions for a political transition in Togo.
The Togolese government asserts that there is already a permanent framework for dialogue, but it has not been officially engaged by the opposition. Government sources acknowledge that organizing elections in Togo by the end of the year will be challenging, but they suggest that a delay of one month or six weeks is possible.
The ruling party, UNIR, doesn’t share the opposition’s concerns. Atcholi Aklesso, the president of UNIR, points out that their party’s regulations provide for the continuity of mandates in the Togolese National Assembly. He questions the need to set a calendar if the Electoral Commission (CENI) is not ready. When contacted, the CENI did not respond to our inquiries.