2024-05-07 00:41:00
It is a day that will remain engraved in the political history of Togo. On May 6, 2024, the President of the Republic, Faure Gnassingbé, officially promulgated Law No. 2024-005 revising the Togolese Constitution. An act full of meaning and consequences, which arouses as much hope as concern about the future of democracy in this small West African country.
An express process which questions the sincerity of the democratic debate
According to the Presidency press release relayed by 237online.com, this constitutional revision is presented as “the fruit of a parliamentary initiative carried out in accordance with legal provisions, enriched by the contributions of the living forces of the nation”. A narrative that, however, struggles to convince many observers, as the process leading to this change in fundamental law was rapid and opaque.
Voted in the second deliberation on April 19, barely three weeks before its promulgation, this revision was preceded by lightning consultations of the « forces vives », from April 8 to 12. A duration considered far too short by many actors in civil society to allow a real substantive debate on issues as crucial as the balance of powers or the limitation of presidential mandates.
Reforms that divide the political class and civil society
Basically, the changes made to the Togolese Constitution deeply divide the political class and civil society. If the supporters of power see it as a major democratic advance, notably with the introduction of a dose of proportionality in legislative elections or the strengthening of the powers of the Prime Minister, the opposition and numerous NGOs denounce a “constitutional tinkering” intended to perpetuate the power of Faure Gnassingbé.
“This revision is a farce, a democratic masquerade“, protests an opponent contacted by our editorial staff. “ In reality, it only strengthens the hyper-presidency and weakens the counter-powers. It is a constitutional coup which opens the way to a presidency for life for Faure Gnassingbé.«
A debate that revives fractures and political tensions
Beyond these divergences of interpretation, it is the deleterious political climate surrounding this revision which worries observers. In a country still marked by the post-electoral violence of 2005 and the repressed demonstrations of 2017-2018, many fear that this force will revive the fractures and tensions between power and opposition.
Already, calls for mobilization are circulating on social networks, threatening to relaunch the protest in the streets of Lomé and the country’s main cities. For its part, the government seems determined to defend its reform at all costs, even if it means resorting to force as in the past.
The international community as arbiter of the democratic game?
Faced with these threats of blockage and escalation, all eyes are now turning to the international community. The African Union, ECOWAS, the European Union, but also Togo’s bilateral partners such as France or the United States, are called upon to play the role of arbiter and mediator to guarantee the stability of the country and sincerity of the democratic game.
« It is crucial that the international community mobilizes to support Togo in this delicate phase of its history”argues a Western diplomat based in Lomé. “This requires demanding dialogue with all stakeholders, but also firm support for civil society actors and independent media, which are the guarantors of a pluralist democratic debate. »
An immense challenge, commensurate with the issues surrounding this constitutional revision. Because beyond Togo, it is the question of democratic consolidation throughout West Africa that is at stake in this political standoff. In Lomé as in Abidjan, Conakry or Niamey, the people are now waiting for strong actions to bring to life the democratic ideal to which they aspire. The ball is in the leaders’ court.