Togo is set to hold its first-ever senatorial elections on Saturday, marking a significant shift under a new constitution that opposition parties claim is designed to extend President Faure Gnassingbe’s rule.
The new constitution replaces direct presidential elections with a parliamentary system, reducing the presidency to a ceremonial role and transferring executive power to the president of the Council of Ministers, a position currently held by Gnassingbe.
While some opposition groups, like the Alliance of Democrats for Integral Development (ADDI), plan to participate, others, including the National Alliance for Change (ANC) and the Democratic Forces for the Republic (FDR), are boycotting, calling the reforms a “constitutional coup d’etat.”
The Senate will comprise 61 members, with 41 elected by regional and municipal councillors and 20 appointed by the president of the Council of Ministers. Critics argue the changes undermine democracy and consolidate power in the hands of the ruling party.
