Togo's ruling party swept last month's elections for regional council seats, electoral authorities said on Monday, consolidating a victory for President Faure Gnassingbe after a landslide win in the parallel parliamentary vote.
The dual April 29 legislative and regional council elections came after a highly contested constitutional reform that opponents say allows Gnassingbe to cement his family's nearly six-decade rule.
Gnassingbe's ruling Union for the Republic (UNIR) party won 137 out of the 179 regional councillor seats, according to provisional results published on Monday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).
Opposition parties won 39 seats and independents took three seats.
Constitutional amendment
Both elections still have to be confirmed by Togo's judiciary – the legislative results by the constitutional court and the regional ballot by the Supreme Court.
The votes came after the divisive constitutional amendment shifted Togo from a presidential to a parliamentary system, a move the West African nation's opposition denounced as an "institutional coup."
On Monday, Gnassingbe gave the final sign-off to the new constitution, according to a presidency statement.
Under the new constitution, the presidency becomes a largely ceremonial role elected by lawmakers.
Gnassingbe can assume powerful post
Power will now sit with the new post of President of the Council of Ministers, a kind of prime minister who will automatically be the head of the party with a parliamentary majority.
This means Gnassingbe can assume the new post as he is head of the UNIR. Under the old constitution he could have only run one more time as president in 2025.
Installed by the military after his father's death in 2005, Gnassingbe has since won four elections. His father ruled before him for nearly 40 years following a coup.
Opponents expect Gnassingbe to hold the new position for the next six years, and as long as his UNIR remains the majority party.
'Electoral masquerade'
The freshly elected regional council members will be among those who vote for a newly created Senate under the parliamentary system that UNIR loyalists say makes Togo more democratic.
Togo's opposition says it needs to "reinvent" itself after winning just five seats out of 113 in the legislative elections, which it has dismissed as an "electoral masquerade."
Observers from the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union and the International Organisation of La Francophonie said they were satisfied with the conduct of the legislative election.
➤ Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.
