Togo’s Faure Gnassingbe orders second reading of new constitution

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In response to brewing tension, Togo's leader, Faure Gnassingbe, has ordered parliament to re-evaluate a controversial constitutional reform that would allow lawmakers to elect the president instead of electorates.

Government spokeswoman Yawa Kouigan announced on March 29 "all things being subject to improvement, and given the interest generated in the population since its adoption, the president today asked the National Assembly president to hold a second reading on the law."

Parliament, dominated by Gnassingbe's UNIR party, adopted the law on Monday that would switch Togo from a presidential to a parliamentary system, giving the assembly the power to elect the president for a single six-year term.

But it remains unclear if the term can be renewed, sparking fears of an indefinite rule for Gnassingbe, who succeeded his father, General Gnassingbe Eyadema, who had seized power in a coup more than 50 years ago.

Opposition parties in the West African country denounced the move as a power grab by Gnassingbe, in power since 2005, ahead of legislative and regional elections on April 20.

In an official announcement, the president emphasized the necessity for a thorough review of the text, citing the heightened interest among the populace since its initial approval. The objective of this decision is to mitigate tensions, particularly as the commencement of the election campaign draws near, Togo Web reports.

Constitutional Law Professor Ata Messan Zeus Ajavon believes that "the text is not bad. The text itself is good.” However, “I must say that I had already proposed a similar text myself in the past. So, basically, the text itself does not bother me. But it's the way they did it that's not good. It cannot be founded constitutionally or legally."

Faure Gnassingbe was last re-elected in a 2020 landslide, which the opposition disputed.