User:Aobessette/2020 Togolese presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Togo on 22 February 2020. Incumbent president Faure Gnassingbé of the Union for the Republic was re-elected for his fourth term with 70% of the vote in the first round setting him up to be in power for 20 years. Faure Gnassingbe Beat out Agbéyomé Kodjo, the former prime minister, and leader of the newly established party Patriotic movement for Democracy Development.

Electoral system
Constitutional amendments approved in May 2019 changed the electoral system for the presidency to the two-round system, replacing the previous first-past-the-post system.

Campaign
In October 2019 the main opposition party, the National Alliance for Change, confirmed its leader Jean-Pierre Fabre would be its candidate.

In January 2020, Emeritus Archbishop of Lomé, Philippe Fanoko Kossi Kpodzro, called for the suspension the presidential election to pave the way for electoral reforms. Philippe Fanoko Kossi Kpodzro had endorsed and campaigned for Agbéyomé Kodjo, and when news broke on the morning of the elections that Kodjo was leading in the polls it is reported that both were put under house arrest.

In February 2020 the Committee to Protect Journalists published a letter urging the Togolese government to refrain from throttling internet service as had been done in 2017 and 2018, calling it a key danger to the states democratic process.

Conduct
Togo's independent electoral commission, CENI, reported to have removed the accreditation of the National Consultation of Civil Society of Togo a key observer group before voting had begun.

Through observing the election ECOWAS determined the elections were free and transparent, and commended the population for its peaceful participation.

Aftermath
Opposition led by Agbéyomé Kodjo called for protests against election results, claiming election fraud and arguing the "unlimited" terms go against the Togolese constitution.

Togo's national assembly then accused the Opposition leader of planning coup after his continued challenging of the election results, and continued to keep him from entering the public.