Parliamentary election in Togo 2002
The early parliamentary elections in Togo in 2002 took place on October 27, 2002. Following the previous parliamentary elections in 1999 , which had been boycotted by most of the opposition parties, the elections came about following international pressure and opposition protests. The largest opposition parties did not take part in these parliamentary elections either.
Starting position
Due to the boycott of the last parliamentary elections by the opposition, the Togolese parliament was dominated by the party Rassemblement du peuple togolais (RPT) of President Gnassingbé Eyadéma with 79 of the 81 seats after the 1999 election . Since then, international organizations and the European Union have tried to mediate between the ruling party RPT and the opposition parties. In the framework agreement reached in Lomé ( French Accord-Cadre de Lomé (ACL) ), the establishment of an independent national electoral commission, the CENI ( French commission électorale nationale indépendante ), and the preparation of new elections soon were decided. The ruling party postponed these new elections. Changes in the electoral law, which excluded the election of politicians who were not permanently resident in Togo, led to new disagreements, the CENI electoral commission was replaced by a body consisting of 7 judges, which met with international protests. The restrictions imposed by the new law and the imprisonment of the chairman of the most important opposition party, Yawovi Agboyibo (President of the Comité d'Action pour le Renouveau , CAR) from September 2001 to April 2002, caused the opposition to hinder the preferred parliamentary elections. Prime Minister Agbéyomé Kodjo , who was dismissed from office at the end of June, sharply criticized the Eyadéma government. His criticism is also directed against a constitutional amendment that has been prepared that would legitimize Eyadéma's further term as president. His successor, Koffi Sama , was entrusted with holding the new elections. The election date was announced on September 19th. The most important opposition parties boycotted the elections due to the previous events, only smaller opposition parties stood for election. For example, the RSDD of Harry Olympio , who a year earlier had fallen from grace and imprisoned as human rights minister under Eyadéma, but was released after a petition for clemency .
Results of choice
The RPT was President Eyadéma's strongest party and received 72 of the 81 seats in parliament. The RSDD, as the strongest opposition party, won 3 seats.
| Parties | Seats |
|---|---|
| Rassemblement du peuple togolais (RPT) | 72 |
| Rassemblement pour le soutien à la democratie et au développement (RSDD) | 3 |
| Union pour la democratie et le progrès social (UDPS) | 2 |
| Mouvement de la jeunesse togolaise (Juvento) | 2 |
| Mouvement des croyants pour l'égalité et la paix '(MOCEP) | 1 |
| independent candidates | 1 |
The turnout was low, while the official figures are 67% of the 2.9 million registered voters, the opposition parties put it at around 10%. The EU and other internationally recognized organizations (e.g. the International Organization of La Francophonie ) withdrew their electoral assistance and did not send election observers. The Togolese Constitutional Court upheld the election on November 12, while the United States and the European Union did not recognize the election result. The EU, with the exception of France, continued to suspend the development aid programs that had been canceled since 1993.
New government
Eyadéma occupied a new government in early December 2002 under the re-appointed Prime Minister Koffi Sama. The cabinet was increased to 21 ministerial posts, and many old ministers in the important ministries were exchanged for new faces. The long-time Foreign Minister Koffi Panou was replaced by the former UN Ambassador to Togo, Roland Kpotsra , and Akila Esso Boko became the new Interior Minister . Harry Olympio was awarded an insignificant ministerial post as Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, which he had to give up again in mid-2003. As a result of the 2003 presidential election , which confirmed Eyadéma as president, a new government was formed which, as a government of national unity , was supposed to take into account more opposition parties. As a result of the reshuffle of some ministerial posts, the president's son Faure Gnassingbé received his first high political office as minister for public institutions, mining, post and telecommunications.
| position | from December 2002 | from July 2003 |
|---|---|---|
| prime minister | Koffi Sama | |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | Roland Kpotsra | Kokou Tozoun |
| Minister of the Interior, Security and Decentralization | Major Akila Esso Boko | |
| Minister of Finance, Economy and Privatization | Ayawovi Tignonkpa | Débaba Bale |
| Minister of Justice | Katari Foli-Bazi | |
| Minister of Defense and Veterans | General Assani Tidjani | |
| Minister for Trade, Industry, Transport and Free Trade Area Development | Dama Dramani | Tankpadja Lallee |
| Minister for Energy and Water Management | Issufou Okoulou-Kantchati | |
| Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries | Komikpine Bamenante | |
| Minister for Environment and Forestry | Rodolphe Osseyi | General Zoumaro Gnofame |
| Minister of Labor and Public Administration | Kokou Tozoun | Rodolphe Osseyi |
| Minister for Public Services, Mines, Post and Telecommunications | Tchamdja Andjo | Faure Gnassingbé |
| Minister for Technical Development | Maurille Agbobli | |
| Minister for Education and Research | Charles Agba | (vacant) |
| Minister of Education and Higher Education | - | Komi Klassou |
| Minister of Health | Suzanne Assouma | |
| Minister for Social Affairs, Advancement of Women and Protection of Children | - | Sayo Boyoti |
| Minister for Youth and Sport | Komi Klassou | Agouta Ouyenga |
| Minister of Culture | Angèle Aguiah | |
| Minister for Promoting Democracy and the Rule of Law | (vacant) | Roland Kpotsra |
| Minister of Communication and Civic Education | Pitang Tchalla | |
| Minister for Parliamentary Affairs | Harry Olympio | Mawutoe d'Almeida |
| Minister of Town Planning | Dovi Kavégué | |
| Minister for Tourism, Recreation and Culture | Lallee Takpandja | Ebina Mumbambi-Iloudjé |
literature
- Piere Englebert u. a .: Togo, Recent History . In: Africa south of the Sahara 2004 . Routledge, London; New York 2004, pp. 1142-1149 ISBN 1-85743-183-9
- Rolf Hofmeister / Andreas Mehler (Hrsg.): Afrika Jahrbuch 2002. Politics, economy and society in Africa south of the Sahara . Leske + Budrich, Opladen 2003, ISBN 3-8100-3782-6
Individual evidence
- ↑ Accord-Cadre de Lomé (ACL) (French) ( Memento of the original from June 21, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 203 kB), Agreement of July 29, 1999, Organization internationale de la Francophonie
- ↑ Declaratuin d'Agbeyome Kodjo: Il est temps d'esperer , Kodjos article at letogolaise.com, originally published in the weekly Le Scorpion
- ↑ In December 2002 the constitution was changed accordingly, and the minimum age for presidential candidates was lowered to 35 years
- ^ Elections in Togo , in African Elections Database
- ^ Elections Législatives du 27 Octobre: Les Etats-Unis regrettent (French) , iciLome.com of November 2, 2002
- ↑ L'Union Européenne réagit contre les élections (French) , iciLome.com of November 11, 2002
- ↑ Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments ( Memento of the original dated February 13, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 653 kB), www.cia.gov, April 2003
- ↑ a b Africa south of the Sahara 2004
- ↑ a b c Africa Yearbook 2002
- ↑ a b c rulers.org , Dec. 2002
