As thousands of Togolese around the world, I was glued this morning to my computer screen. I was desperately searching for news from Togo. I was really looking for the results of the presidential elections. Unfortunately, after several hours of navigating between, www.togoforum.com, www.thetelegraphe.com, www.diastode.org and several other web sites, I became more and more disappointed in the manner in which the opposition leaders were conducting themselves. Stupid, stupid, stupid I kept saying.
How can these people call themselves leaders? Yesterday, right after the elections, some of them wanted to void the elections. Yet today, they are calling themselves winners. What did they win exactly? You cannot at the same time be against something and declare yourself winner of it! It is almost like trying to have your cake and eat it too, and we all know that this tactic leads nowhere.
No wonder, the rest of the world is ignoring us completely. For months we have spent our time calling on the international community to help us avoid any trouble in the country, to help our opposition get a fair election. But here we are 24 hours after the elections. No clear sense of what really happened on Sunday June 1st. But the opposition is still engaged in this divisive game of words. Hmmmmmmm! I am so angry right now with the opposition.
Once again many Togolese, even many in the military trusted the opposition. They exposed themselves to Eyadema and his cronies. Now they will become easy targets of repression for the terror campaign that Eyadema often conducts after elections. This is very sad and disappointing.
So far the only person who showed some dignity, self-respect and love for the people of Togo is Dr Gnininvi. For this alone, I am still hoping for the best outcome possible for our nation. I pray for the God of ancestors to watch over us in the days and months to come.
In Unity, let's fight the evil that is threatening to plunge our beloved country in chaos.
USA, June 2nd, 2003
Ayeh Essi
