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- Togo President Faure Gnassingbé declared the winner in Togo’s presidential elections.
- In 2019, the president managed to amend the constitution to allow him to rule until 2030.
Togo President Faure Gnassingbé was declared as the winner in Togo’s presidential elections. The declaration means that he will continue his fourth term as the President of Togo. According to the national electoral commission (Ceni) Provisional results, the incumbent had received 72% of votes. Earlier both Gnassingb’e and his rival Agbeyome Kodjo had claimed victory. Gnassingbé, has ruled Togo as president since 2005, when he took over from his father who previously ruled the country for 38 years. Gnassingbé Eyadema. Kodjo had served as head of government under Eyadema.
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Protests demanding the end to the Gnassingbé family’s dynasty rule broke out in 2017 and 2018. The protestors urged for reforms of the national electoral commission and a two term limit for Presidents. Last year, the president managed to amend the constitution to allow him to rule until 2030. According to reports, though the election went off peacefully, armed troops surrounded Kodjo’s house later. The estate of Philippe Kpodzro, the former archbishop of the capital of Lomé, an influential clergyman who had supported Kodjo’s campaign.
was also surrounded.
Over half of the population of nearly 8 million people, of this poverty stricken west African Country according to the World Health Organization, subsist on less than $1.90 (€1.75) a day.