Togo - May 2024

On 6 May, President Faure Gnassingbé promulgated a new constitution, under which the country moves from a presidential political system to one that experts have categorised as ‘assembly independent.’ Under this system, the head of government (the newly created President of the Council of Ministers, PoCM) is selected by parliament and can only be removed by a three-quarters parliamentary majority, effectively shielding the PoCM from accountability. The new framework does not impose a term limit on the head of government, raising widespread concerns that it may enable Gnassingbé, who looks set to become the first PoCM, to indefinitely continue his rule. Procedural concerns have also been raised, with opposition parties criticising the government’s failure to subject the new constitution to a referendum and its passage after the formal end to the parliamentary term.

Sources: République Togolaise, Journal officiel de la République togolaise, Constitution Net (1), Constitution Net (2), The Conversation, Reuters