Togolese Must Push For A Referendum – Security Expert
A Security Expert, Daniel Akpalu has expressed fears that there would be uncontrolled violence if the Togolese Electoral Commission did not give correct details of the recently held elections.
He has therefore urged the Togolese citizens to push the country to a referendum for their Constitution to be re-written.
According to him, the Togolese authorities have not done any political reforms as foundations of the election and that a referendum is urgently needed to restrict the term limits of a person contesting elections.
According to him, the EC must give the time, figures, and polling station by polling station figures in order to clear doubts people are habouring against the declared results.
He said the people of Togo have the right to demonstrate according to the law and that what seems to be an attempt to usurp sovereign authority in Togo to contradict and violate the basis and principles of international law, would be resisted.
Daniel Akpalu averred that the opposition declaration of the results was a direct path to lawlessness and bloodshed and that it is “unacceptable.”
He urged the Togolese national security to remain steadfast and determined in pursuit of peace and security in this challenging time which is critical to national security.
“Building a functioning democratic state after 32 years of military rule of Gnassingbé Eyadéma family does not happen in a week and the opposition is far from being one cohesive unit.
He called on the Togolese armed force to remain vigilant since the political situations in Togo are not favourable.
Daniel Akpalu also noted that reports have indicated that Ghana has deployed its military possibly as protection for President Faure Gnassingbé.
He urged Togolese soldiers to put themselves on the side of the people since Togo opposition parties have failed to mount a successful challenges to elections results.
“Mr Agboyome has not recognized the decisions as having any legitimacy and is unlikely to change anything in his attempt to remove and replace Mr Faure Gnassingbé as a president. The Togolese authority has not done any political reforms as foundations of the election and I want to advise that the Togolese citizens should push the country to referendum for their Constitution to be re-written that restricts the term limits of a person contesting elections,” he said.
He however said, is the opposition should go to a court, it would still not get justice since the court is composed of Faure Gnassingbé family and that with the preliminary results in from about a third of polling stations president Faure Gnassingbé has commanding in the president race with about 65% of the votes whilst the opposition leader was trailing about 27%.
The opposition leader Agboyome rejected the results being announced saying they did not correspond with the Will of the electorates. He said the electoral process was barbaric with total violence, arbitrary arrest, ballot box stuffing and other irregularities.
However, Elections commission officials have denied reports of ballots stuffing on the elections day.
His critics say he has ignored the elections procedure which voted to restrict the president to two terms
The president Faure Gnassingbé will be in power until 2025.
However many indigenous Togolese who were lifted out of poverty back him for the president.
Mr Faure Gnassingbé has been in office since 2015 He will be sworn in for the fourth term in office after winning February 22th elections marred by an opposition boycott and widespread claims of vote rigging.
By: PROSPER AGBENYEGA
