© AP
The party of Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé won the majority of seats in parliament in last Monday’s parliamentary elections, the Togolese electoral commission announced on Saturday evening.
According to the preliminary results, 108 of the 113 seats in the National Assembly will go to the presidential party, the Union for the Republic (Unir). This was announced by the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (Ceni), Dago Yabré, on Saturday evening in Lomé after a count that was broadcast live on national television.
The results, which have yet to be confirmed by the Constitutional Court, represent an undisputed victory for the party of President Faure Gnassingbé, who has been in power since 2005 after his father and predecessor was head of state for 38 years.
Initially, the elections were scheduled for April 20, but after the Togolese parliament adopted a new constitution at the end of March, there was a postponement to discuss the new constitution. This was seen by the opposition as a démarche to keep Gnassingbé in power longer.
With the adoption of the new constitution, Togo is moving from a presidential to a parliamentary system