by Nurat Uthman
Lawmakers in Togo approved changes to its constitution on Friday linked to presidential term limits and how presidents are elected, which some opposition politicians and civil society groups have denounced as a constitutional coup.
Parliament passed amendments in a vote in March, but further consultations and a second parliamentary vote were scheduled, and legislative elections were pushed back due to fierce backlash.
Those opposed to the changes fear they could allow further extensions of President Faure Gnassingbe’s 19-year rule and his family’s grip on power. His father and predecessor Gnassingbe Eyadema seized power in the coastal West African country via a coup in 1967.
In the second vote, lawmakers unanimously approved the amended charter under which the president will no longer be elected by universal suffrage, but by members of parliament.
The amendments also introduce a parliamentary system of government and shortened presidential terms to four years from five with a two-term limit.
