Togo - May 2024

On 6 May, President Faure Gnassingbé promulgated amendments to the country’s constitution which, among other things, changes its 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 reforms to a referendum and the passage of the reforms after the formal end to the parliamentary term.  

Sources: République Togolaise, Constitution Net (1), Constitution Net (2), The Conversation, Reuters