Togo president wins fourth term as opposition urges resistance

Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbe on Monday hailed a widely expected election victory that gave him a fourth term in office.
The election commission said that the turnout of Saturday’s poll was over 76%. It also said that Gnassingbe got 72% of the vote in the first round, far ahead of former prime minister Agbeyome Kodjo, who won 18% and alleged widespread fraud including ballot stuffing and the use of fake polling stations. He insisted he had won and called on people to “defend” their votes.
“The truth has just come to light after the announcement of the results which place us far ahead of our adversaries”, Gnassingbe said. Gnassingbe took over in 2005 after the death of his father Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled for 38 years.
However, Kodjo, who was PM under Gnassingbe’s father, insisted he was the true “democratically elected president of the republic of Togo”. His campaign chief urged citizens to “enter into resistance” until the “will expressed by the voters in favour of change is respected”.
The authorities banned hundreds of local observers from monitoring the election and cancelled the system of electronic security at the last moment. The results will be confirmed in no longer than six days by Togo’s constitutional court.