In Togo; things are going on as if we are making some giant steps backward rather than the opposite. The game to which Eyadema was used to, in other words, trapping the opposition parties is set up again by his son: forcing fraudulent elections and put the fact in front the international community as an accomplished fact while using simultaneously the diabolic weapon of the threat of civil war and thereafter make the opposition parties believe that the only alternative is to seize the opportunity of a government of a national unity to preserve peace or they will be believed to be a stumbling block for a sincere dialogue. In the past, we saw the fruits of that kind of government. A government composed and directed by a member of the RPT has always two faces. The first one consists of making the international community believe that RPT has agreed to rule with the opposition parties by inserting its members in the government, this because it is opened to democracy and the second face is that this same party will do everything within its power to reduce the opposition to naught by constantly setting ambush on its way. After the proclamation of the results, everyone believed that there would be a street revolution like the one, which occurred in Madagascar, Ukraine, and recently in Kirghizstan or elsewhere. Unfortunately, it was not the case, for, in front of the peaceful civilian togolese population stands an army which is ready to massacre and terrorize to make RPT rule at all cost. Remember, in those countries where the street revolution prevailed the army is serving the nation not a regime, and having understood the situation stepped back and teamed up with the population. It is time for the opposition parties to wage war against fraudulent elections, which are institutionalized as habit in Togo. All we want is fair and free new elections like in Ukraine. Anything unholy must be purified.Why do some people always want to confiscate the presidential seat and share only the national assembly with the opposition? if CEDEAO fears the monolithic army, it is high time they think about sending a peace keeping force to us to supervise new elections. I want them to understand this: the solution to the Togolese crisis does not pass by a fraudulent election but rather by a national dialogue focusing on mutual forgiveness opening therefore the way to a transitory government with the specific goal of preparing new clean elections if not, we will return to where we have begun. Let’s find a solution that has the consent of all the parties in conflict and not a temporary one. To the opposition parties, I am saying this: the Togolese population is waiting and will not forgive any false step

Richmond, Virginia, USA, May 12, 2005
Messan D. Benissan

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