Togolese citizens now have a tentative date for the legislative and regional elections. On Monday evening, November 27, the government officially announced that both elections will take place by the “end of the first quarter” of 2024. The elections were initially scheduled for next month, as promised by President Faure Gnassingbé. For several weeks, opposition parties had been expressing concerns about the lack of an electoral calendar.
This marks the first official electoral postponement in Togo’s political history since President Faure Gnassingbé assumed leadership of the country. It is noteworthy that the president himself directed his government to organize legislative and regional elections “no later than the end of the first quarter of 2024,” considering that the mandate of the current deputies expires on December 31.
Complaints
The announcement of this postponement comes as the opposition lodges numerous complaints against the Togolese authorities. Firstly, the absence of an electoral calendar hindered the opposition’s ability to adequately prepare for their campaign.
Irregularities
Moreover, they contested the voter registration process in June 2023, citing numerous irregularities. Despite these challenges, the opposition, which had boycotted the last local elections in 2018, seems determined to participate in the upcoming elections.