On Thursday citizens of Togo will be going to the polls to vote in legislative elections but tension is heightening ahead of that election.
There have been opposition protests that were met with major security crackdown. Protesters have been demanding that President Faure Gnassingbe steps down.
The protesters have also been demanding reforms ahead of Thursday’s elections. They allege of attempts to conduct an election full of “irregularities”.
Already Togo’s main opposition coalition has announced its decision to boycott the elections. The coalition is unhappy with conditions set out for the polls.
The agitation from the opposition coalition follows the decision by Togo’s Constitutional Court to exclude the 14-party opposition coalition that staged protests against President Gnassingbe.
There are fears there could be violence during voting on Thursday.
The regional bloc ECOWAS has been trying to resolve the political crisis ahead of the December 20 elections.
The Gnassingbe family has been ruling the country for over 50 years now. Demands for current president, Faure Gnassingbe who took over from his father in 2005 has been met with security crackdown.
The Togolese President took over from his father Eyadema in 2005 after he died while in power for 38 years. He has since won elections in 2005, 2010 and 2015.
Source: Africafeeds.com