International Observers Praise Togo’s Peaceful Election

Togo’s recent legislative and regional elections, held on April 29, 2024, garnered international attention as observers from the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union, and La Francophonie commended the country’s commitment to democratic processes.

This was contained in a joint communique signed by the ECOWAS, AU and Francophonie Missions on Tuesday and made available to journalists on Wednesday.

The Economic Community of West African States had, on Sunday, dispatched 40 observers to oversee the legislative and regional elections in Togo.

Led by former Gambian Vice-President Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, the observers include ambassadors, representatives from ECOWAS institutions, civil society members, media professionals, and election specialists from West Africa.

The deployment was aligned with ECOWAS’ commitment to supporting member states in conducting their elections, as outlined in Article 12 of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.

Representatives from ECOWAS, AU, and La Francophonie, at the invitation of Togolese authorities, monitored the electoral proceedings and engaged in consultations with various stakeholders including government officials, electoral bodies, political parties, civil society organisations, and international partners.

On election day, the observers dispersed across the nation, visiting polling stations in all five regions. Their observations highlighted the peaceful conduct of the elections, with voters demonstrating a strong grasp of voting procedures. Notably, women and youth played an active role in the electoral process, both as voters and polling agents.

According to the communique, the absence of security incidents during the elections underscored Togo’s commitment to maintaining peace and stability throughout the electoral process.

“On election day, the missions visited polling stations in all five regions of the country. They noted that the elections were inclusive. The missions commend the peaceful conduct of the elections and the mastery of voting and counting procedures by the members of the polling stations They commend the women and the youth for their civic mobilization as voters and polling agents.

“The Missions noted with satisfaction that no security incident was recorded during election day,” the communique read.

However, observers emphasised the need for continued efforts to uphold democratic principles and the rule of law, urging stakeholders to prioritise dialogue and legal mechanisms for dispute resolution.

“The missions underscore the need to preserve peace and strengthen democracy and the rule of law and call on all stakeholders to make every effort to promote dialogue and consultation and to use legal channels to resolve any dispute that may arise.

“They stressed the importance of securing the counting and collation of votes, as well as the publication of the results of the elections in the manner and within the time limits prescribed by law,” the communique noted.

Looking ahead, ECOWAS, AU, and La Francophonie reiterated their support for Togo’s democratic journey, pledging assistance in implementing recommendations aimed at further strengthening peace and democracy in the country.

According to AlJazeera, some 4.2 million eligible Togolese voters headed to the polls on Monday to vote in delayed and controversial parliamentary elections that are causing tensions in a West African region already plagued by instability.

Unlike in previous elections in which voters in the country of eight million people elected both legislators to the country’s parliament, as well as the president, this time around, they took part in an indirect vote that could further lock in the long, repressive rule of President Faure Gnassingbe.