07 Aug 2024 | 09:46 AM UTC
Togo: Opposition activists plan protest at Constitutional Court in Lome from 09:00 Aug. 9
Activists plan protest at Constitutional Court in Lome, Togo, from 09:00 Aug. 9. Heightened security and localized disruptions likely.
Supporters of the oppositional parties Democratic Convention of African Peoples (CDPA), The Democrats, and the Togolese Party plan to stage a sit-in protest in front of the Constitutional Court in Lome from 09:00 Aug. 9. The action is to denounce the constitutional amendments announced on May 6. Participation could be in the low hundreds.
Authorities will likely deploy a heightened security presence to monitor the sit-in protest. Transport disruptions will likely affect the vicinity of the Constitutional Court amid the protest. Clashes are possible if security forces attempt to disperse the demonstrators.
Avoid the protest as a standard precaution. Consider taking alternative routes to circumvent the vicinity of the demonstration and any related disruptions. Allow additional time to reach destinations if operating near the impacted area. Heed the instructions of authorities. If violence occurs, leave the area immediately.
The constitutional reform transitions the country from a presidential to a parliamentary system. The President of the Council of Ministers, a newly created post elected by the parliament, will be the leader of the majority party following the legislative elections for a six-year term and the de facto head of state. There will be no term limits for the President of the Council of Ministers should its party retain a majority and renew their mandate. The parliament will elect the president, who will hold limited, mainly ceremonial powers. The new constitution will be implemented within a 12-month period. Faure Gnassingbe, who has been president of Togo since 2005, is likely to become the President of the Council of Ministers.
