Togo’s presidential election will be held in mid-April, a minister said Tuesday, clarifying a constitutional court ruling on the date of the vote. The cabinet is expected to set the date based on proposals from the national election commission, the minister for territorial administration, Gilbert Balawa, told AFP. A statement from Togo’s constitutional court on Monday was interpreted to mean that voting had to take place no later than March 5, a timeline that opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre said was “materially impossible to respect”. But on Tuesday, the court issued a second statement to clarify that in fact only the date of the election had to be set by March 5.
President Faure Gnassingbe’s government then announced that the vote would be held by mid-April.
Gnassingbe has been in power since the 2005 death of his father, General Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled with an iron fist for 38 years.
The opposition has been pushing for a change to the country’s constitution to limit a president to two, five-year terms. There is currently no limit.
Full Article: Togo election set for mid-April: minister | Daily Mail Online.