Presidential elections were held in Togo on 4 March 2010. AFP, 11 February 2010 Incumbent President Faure Gnassingbé—who won his first term in a presidential election that followed the death of his father, long-time President Gnassingbé Eyadema, in 2005—faced radical opposition candidate Jean-Pierre Fabre, the Secretary-General of the Union of the Forces of Change (UFC), as well as several minor opposition candidates.
Following the democratization process of the early 1990s, which proved largely abortive, Eyadema and his ruling party, the Rally of the Togolese People (RPT), successively won all presidential elections, although those elections were always extremely controversial: the opposition boycotted the 1993 presidential election altogether, and it claimed that Eyadema won the 1998 presidential election and the 2003 presidential election only through fraud. Eyadema died in 2005 and his son Faure Gnassingbé then ran as the RPT candidate; although he officially won the election, the opposition again disputed the result, and serious violence erupted.
Ahead of the 2010 election, the Togolese government took steps to increase the credibility of the electoral process and reassure the international community that the election would be free and fair. It placed a particular priority on avoiding the violence that marred the 2005 election. Gnassingbé stood for a second term as the candidate of the RPT, while the UFC designated Fabre as its candidate due to health problems suffered by its president, Gilchrist Olympio. Although the UFC was the largest opposition party by a large measure, and although the election was to be decided in a single round on a first past the post basis, the other opposition parties largely refused to rally behind Fabre and chose to nominate their own candidates.
Provisional results showed Gnassingbé winning the election with 61% of the vote, while Fabre trailed with 34%. The opposition again alleged fraud, denouncing the method by which the results were transmitted to the electoral commission, and subsequently held regular protests in Lomé. The results were confirmed by the Constitutional Court and Gnassingbé was sworn in for a second term on 3 May 2010.
Background The election was conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).EU gives Togo grant for presidential election AFP, 23 December 2009 The 17 members of CENI were sworn in on 1 September 2009; it was composed of five representatives of the ruling Rally of the Togolese People (RPT), five representatives of the parliamentary opposition, three representatives of the extra-parliamentary opposition, three representatives of civil society, and one representative of the administration.Les membres de la Céni ont prêté serment Republicoftogo.com, 1 September 2009 Henri Kolani, a representative of the extra-parliamentary opposition, was then elected as President of CENI, but the parliamentary opposition objected to his election. At a press conference on 18 September 2009, Kolani announced an electoral schedule: preparations for the election would begin in October 2009, the official election campaign period would run from 13 to 26 February 2010, and the election would be held on 28 February 2010. He stressed that hard work was necessary to ensure that the election was held before the constitutional deadline. The parliamentary opposition ignored Kolani's announcement.Togo to hold presidential election in February 2010 Xinhua, 19 September 2009
The controversy over the election of Kolani interfered with CENI's work, and as a result, Issifou Tabiou Taffa—a representative of civil society—was elected by consensus as President of CENI on 14 October 2009, resolving the controversy.Le président nouveau est arrivé ! Republicoftogo.com, 14 October 2009 Tabiou Taffa was not a member of any political party and was an obscure figure at the time of his election as CENI President.Un homme libre Republicoftogo.com, 15 October 2009 On that occasion, he stressed that CENI's work would be "collegial".
On 23 December 2009, the European Union announced a grant of six billion CFA francs (9.1 million euro) to Togo in order to facilitate the organization of "free, just, transparent and peaceful elections, in line with international standards" and to "strengthen the capacities" of CENI and the High Authority for the Audiovisual Sector and Communications for future elections.
As the election drew nearer, greater government activity and social spending was observed; infrastructure was built or improved and recruitment to the civil service was increased. Speaking on TVT on 30 December 2009, Pascal Bodjona, the Minister of State for Territorial Administration, said that the government was merely doing what was best for the people and that the government's work was unrelated to the election.Bodjona : "On va continuer à faire ce qui est bien pour les populations" Republicoftogo.com, 31 December 2009
The EU committed to sending an additional five billion CFA francs at a meeting with the Togolese government on 22 January 2010,Nouvelle aide de l'UE pour l'élection Republicoftogo.com, 23 January 2010 and it announced on 1 February that it would have 122 observers present for the election.Le RPT dénonce l’attitude de l’opposition Republicoftogo.com, 1 February 2010
On 11 February 2010, the election was delayed from 28 February to 4 March at the request of the opposition. As a result of the delay, the campaign period was modified and set to run from 16 February to 2 March. CENI President Tabiou Taffa announced the official opening of the campaign, set to begin at midnight, on 15 February. In his statement, he said that revisions of the voter list had produced "a reliable voter list of 3,295,646 voters". He also urged the opposition representatives to return to CENI, which they had abandoned in protest.Plus de 3 millions d’électeurs enregistrés Republicoftogo.com, 15 February 2010
The security forces voted on 1 March—three days before the general population—so that they would be available to maintain order on election day.Troops vote first in Togo's presidential polls AFP, 1 March 2010
Candidates Togo's main opposition party, the UFC, unanimously chose Olympio, its long-time leader, as its presidential candidateL’UFC a désigné son candidat pour la présidentielle Republicoftogo.com, 20 July 2008 at the party's Second Ordinary Congress, held in Nyékonakpoé, Lomé on 18–19 July 2008.2ème Congrès de l’Union des Forces de Changement UFC website, 20 July 2008 Some other early announced candidates were the minor opposition leader Dahuku Péré, who led the Democratic Alliance for the Fatherland, as well as Kofi Yamgnane, who held dual nationality and served in the government of France under François Mitterrand.
The Democratic Convention of African Peoples (CDPA) designated Kafui Adjamagbo-Johnson, a member of its steering committee, as its presidential candidate in early January 2010. She was the first woman to stand as a presidential candidate in Togo.Une femme représentera la CDPA Republicoftogo.com, 8 January 2010 At a meeting of its National Council, with 350 delegates in attendance, the Pan-African Democratic Party (PDP), a minor party, invested the university professor Bassabi Kagbara as its presidential candidate on 9 January 2010.Bassabi Kagbara candidat du PDP Republicoftogo.com, 10 January 2010
Although RPT activists, both in Togo and abroad, called for President Faure Gnassingbé to run for re-election over the course of several months, he deferred any formal announcement of his candidacy. It was nevertheless assumed that he would run for re-election and that he would be confirmed as the RPT candidate at a party convention at the Palace of Congress in Lomé on 12 January 2010.Le RPT va choisir son candidat Republicoftogo.com, 8 January 2010 He was accordingly invested as the RPT candidate at the convention, although he was not present;Togo: Faure Gnassingbé sera candidat à un second mandat le 28 février AFP, 12 January 2010 Le RPT vote Faure Republicoftogo.com, 12 January 2009 his Personal Representative, Folly Bazi Katari, confirmed that he accepted the nomination in accordance with "the wishes of the overwhelming majority of Togolese". Speaking on the occasion, RPT Secretary-General Solitoki Esso credited Gnassingbé with vast accomplishments, saying that—among other things—he had improved the political atmosphere, organized transparent elections, ended Togo's international isolation, and revitalized the economy. He also credited Gnassingbé with various accomplishments in the areas of health, education, infrastructure, employment, and social welfare.
Agbéyomé Kodjo, a former Prime Minister leading the opposition Organisation to Build a United Togo (OBUTS), submitted his candidacy to CENI on 14 January 2010. Although the deadline for the submission of candidacies was 15 January, Kodjo was the first person to formally submit his candidacy. Upon learning that he was first, Kodjo declared that it was "a very good sign" and that he would also be "the first" to be declared the winner of the election.Kodjo super optimiste Republicoftogo.com, 14 January 2010 Kodjo fiercely denounced Gnassingbé's "disastrous" record, saying that the state budget needed to be increased, and he pledged "no fewer than 21 emergency measures to restore confidence and boost consumer spending after the presidential election".Agbéyomé Kodjo : « L'absence de Gilchrist est lourde de sens » Republicoftogo.com, 21 January 2010
On 15 January, long-time opposition leader Yawovi Agboyibo was formally invested as the candidate of the CAR.Agboyibo, le retour Republicoftogo.com, 15 January 2010
Eight candidates submitted applications to CENI by the deadline of 15 January: Gnassingbé as the RPT candidate, Jean-Pierre Fabre as the UFC candidate, Agboyibo as the CAR candidate, Kodjo as the OBUTS candidate, Adjamagbo-Johnson as the CDPA candidate, Nicolas Lawson as the PRR candidate, Yamgnane as the Sursaut candidate, and Kagbara as the PDP candidate. The candidates were predictable except for Fabre, whose designation as the UFC candidate was considered very surprising.Huit candidats ont déposé leur dossier Republicoftogo.com, 16 January 2010 UFC President Olympio, whose candidacy had long been announced and expected, was in the United States at the time, suffering from backache, and was unable to travel to Togo to undergo the necessary medical review for his candidacy. Consequently, the UFC submitted the candidacy of its Secretary-General, Jean-Pierre Fabre.
Aside from Olympio, two candidacies were rejected: those of Dahuku Péré and Kokou Ségnon Nsoukpoe. According to CENI, neither of them submitted the necessary deposits of money.La Céni au rapport Republicoftogo.com, 21 January 2010
In a letter published on the UFC website on 16 January, Olympio said that the election should not be rushed and that CENI should be given "the time necessary for the preparation of a credible and transparent election". He said that his health was "rapidly improving" and that the authorities were considering his application. The letter made no mention of Fabre's candidacy.Gilchrist Olympio, Togolais viens ! Bâtissons la Cité. UFC website, 16 January 2010