Bottom Line
- The recent constitutional changes in Togo have shifted the balance of power from a presidential to a parliamentary system. This move has raised concerns about the potential for the ruling regime to perpetuate in power.
- The Economic Community of West African States, through its silence, appears to accept the change of the constitution and confirm its role as a club of presidents.
- Togo’s future will remain uncertain and the regime might face domestic and international challenges.
Togo's political landscape has undergone a significant shift with the adoption of a new constitution on March 25, 2024. This revision marks a fundamental change, transitioning the nation from a presidential system to a parliamentary one. The adoption has sparked controversy, with both potential benefits and serious concerns being raised. Given Togo's history of simmering political and social tensions, coupled with the growing terrorist threat in the north, this change ushers in a period of uncertainty for a nation striving for peace and a strengthened democracy.
A New Constitution to Remain in Power?
Lawmakers from the ruling Union for the Republic (UNIR) party overwhelmingly
approved the proposed constitutional change in the national assembly. With only two dissenting votes, the measure passed with near-complete support. This is because the opposition, which boycotted the 2018 elections due to
alleged irregularities, has minimal representation in the current assembly. The new constitution embodies key changes. First, it removes the direct election of the president by the people. Instead, the National Assembly, the country's legislative body, would be responsible for electing the president. Additionally, the president's term would increase from five to six years, for a single six-year term.
Moreover, the new constitution
establishes a new powerful executive position: the president of the Council of Ministers. Elected by the National Assembly, this individual will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the government and will be held accountable for its performance.
The president of the Council of Ministers will come from the party with the most seats in parliament or lead a coalition of parties if there is no single-party majority. The term of office will be six years.
Tchitchao Tchalim, Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Constitutional Laws, Legislation, and General Administration
stated, “The head of state is practically divested of his powers in favor of the president of the Council of Ministers, who becomes the person who represents the Togolese Republic abroad and effectively leads the country in its day-to-day management.”
This is radically different from the recent amendment of the constitution that occurred in 2019, which
stipulated that the president of the republic is elected by universal suffrage for a term of five years, renewable once, and made the presidential election a two-round race.
“This is the umpteenth preparation of a constitutional coup by a monarchical regime that has held the country's destiny hostage for almost sixty years,” one of Togo's opposition parties, the Democratic Forces of the Republic,
said while the new constitution was still being debated.
