Reports indicate a noticeable lack of voter participation in the contentious parliamentary elections underway in Togo on Monday.
These elections follow constitutional amendments that skeptics argue were crafted to assist President Faure Gnassingbé in prolonging his family’s extensive control over the country.
The alterations transformed Togo’s governance from a presidential to a parliamentary system, potentially enabling Mr. Gnassingbé to sidestep presidential term restrictions and retain his position.
Having governed for nearly two decades, President Gnassingbé inherited power from his father, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who held sway over Togo for close to forty years.