Togo has embraced a new Constitution, marking a transition to the fifth Republic for the nation. The proposed text, spearheaded by a group of predominantly Unir party-affiliated parliamentarians, was ratified during a session held from Monday night into Tuesday morning, with 89 votes in favor, one against, and one abstention.
This move comes less than a month before the upcoming legislative elections and amid the expiration of parliamentary mandates at the end of December. The country is thus transitioning from a presidential to a parliamentary system.
Under this new Constitution, there will no longer be presidential elections in Togo, even though the next one was scheduled to take place in a year. The nation will retain a President of the Republic, elected by the combined assembly of deputies and senators in Congress, for a single six-year term, albeit with a largely symbolic role.
The individual wielding executive authority will be the President of the Council of Ministers, appointed for a similar six-year term, tasked with managing governmental affairs and representing the country abroad. This position will be assumed by the leader of the majority party following the legislative elections.
The new Constitution is set to be promulgated within fifteen days of its adoption, replacing the current text ratified by referendum in 1992 and subsequently amended three times.
Togo is poised to enter the fifth Republic ahead of the upcoming legislative elections slated for April 20, a period exceeding three months after the conclusion of the mandates of the current sitting deputies in the Assembly. This scenario has drawn criticism from segments of the opposition and civil society, denouncing it as a constitutional power grab and coup.