Fri Feb 10 2012

Togo: Africa's longest-serving leader won't have to step down
by Gabriel Packard
January 4, 2003

New York, Dec. 30 (GIN) -- The Togolese parliament yesterday changed the constitution in a way that will allow President Gnassingbe Eyadema to seek re-election in next year's June elections.

   As it stood, the 1992 constition required Eyadema to step down after two five-year terms. But now, he will be able to run for re-election as many times as he wishes to.

   Opposition groups have called the amendations a constitional coup.

   Jean-Pierre Fabre of the opposition party, Union of Forces for Change said, "We call on the Togolese people to mobilize immediately to oppose this 'coup de force' of President Eyadema."

   Eyadema, who came to power in a 1967 military coup, is Africa's longest serving head of state. He kept Togo in a single- party system until 1993, when he won the country's first mult- party presidential election. Opposition parties boycotted the poll.

   In 1998, Eyadema won the second multparty presidential election, in which he was accused of vote-rigging and other electoral malpractice.

   Eyadema's Rally of Togolese People (RPT) party has 72 of the 81 seats in the Togolese national assembly. But the vote to amend the constitution was unaminous.

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