LOME, Togo (AP) — Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe has signed a controversial new constitution that eliminates presidential elections, a statement from his office said late Monday. It’s a move that opponents say will allow him to extend his family’s six-decade-long rule.
Under the new legislation, parliament will have the power to choose the president, doing away with direct elections. The election commission on Saturday announced that Gnassingbe’s ruling party had won a majority of seats in the West African nation’s parliament.
Ahead of the vote, there was a crackdown on civic and media freedoms. The government banned protests against the proposed new constitution and arrested opposition figures. The electoral commission banned the Catholic Church from deploying election observers. In mid-April, a French journalist who arrived to cover the elections was arrested, assaulted and expelled. Togo’s media regulator later suspended the accreditation process for foreign journalists.
Related articles:
Related suggestion:
Xi meets US secretary of stateDame Joan Collins looks glamorous in a black satin dress with semiMost beautiful bookstores of the year honored at national reading conferenceChina's envoy in Washington urges US to avoid Thucydides Trap in bilateral tiesXijin ferry historical and cultural blockData security in focus for safe AI useAncient slips mirror the rise and fall of Qin DynastyThe Piano review: This show's standout performer? A romantic OAP with dementia, writes ROLAND WHITEUkrainian president signs law to boost military mobilizationChina's envoy in Washington urges US to avoid Thucydides Trap in bilateral ties
0.1929s , 6498.109375 kb
Copyright © 2024 Powered by Togo's presidents signs a law expected to extend his decades ,Earth Echo news portal