Lome: Togo’s opposition on Thursday called for three days of mass demonstrations to protest the government’s decision to postpone legislative elections this month.
Tensions between President Faure Gnassingbe’s government and the opposition have risen after parliament approved a proposal to keep Togo’s leader in power and criticized constitutional reforms.
The president said on Wednesday that more advice was needed on reforms and postponed the April 20 legislative and regional elections without giving a new date.
Four opposition parties and civil society groups issued statements calling for demonstrations on April 11, 12 and 13.
The reform battle has fueled controversy over the power of Gnassingbe, who has been in power since 2005 after succeeding his father, who ruled for three decades following a military coup.
Fearing attempts to keep Gnassingbe in power, opposition leaders say they want the government to scrap reforms that would have allowed the president of the National Assembly to be directly elected.
Party spokesman Thomas Kokou N’soukpoe said nine members of the opposition group Dynamique Monseigneur Kpodzro were arrested by police in Lome.
Prosecutor Talaka Mawama said on Wednesday that an investigation had been launched against “those who distributed leaflets and chanted slogans that caused public unrest”.
After a week of political tension, Gnassingbe sent the bill to parliament for a second reading.
