One Family, Four-Decades in Power
Mar. 10th, 2010
The son of Togo’s late dictator has been re-elected president, election officials said, extending the family’s four-decade rule in the west African nation.
Faure Gnassingbe succeeded his father, President Gnassingbe Eyadema, who died five years ago after ruling since 1967.
President Gnassingbe had 1.2 million votes, according to preliminary results released by the country’s election commission Saturday.
His main challenger, opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre, got nearly 700,000 votes, the commission reported.
“The opposition will contest the results” in court and on the streets, Union of Forces for Change representative Kofi Yamgnane told reporters Sunday.
Indeed they did. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the opposition party headquarters in Lome, the capital. The opposition’s insistency the election was stolen has further raised political risk amidst fears of a new wave of violence in Togo. Protesters in Lomé have already been met with tear gas.









