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Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe

Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé speaks to journalists after a meeting with the French president at the Elysee Palace in Paris on November 15, 2013.

Photo by Patrick Kovarik/AFP via Getty Images

On paper, Togo has been running an uninterrupted democracy for nearly 50 years. However, it has been ruled by just two presidents since consecutive elections were held starting from 1979. In 2005, Faure Gnassingbé came into office on controversial terms, replacing his father Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who ruled the country from 1967, starting with a coup and then retaining power for five more terms, till his death.

Earlier this week, Togolese lawmakers adopted a new constitution change that greatly reduces the powers of the president to a ceremonial role, while lengthening the tenure to six years, but for a single term. It’s the second major constitutional change in five years, after a two-term limit was put in place for presidents back in 2019. As the change did not apply retrospectively, it meant that Gnassingbé was eligible to run for two more 5-year terms after already spending 15 years in power.

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