The political situation in Togo, related to
difficulties in holding early parliamentary elections, and the
recent meeting between President Eyadema and opposition leaders,
were the focus of comments by Lome newspapers this week.
According to 'Le Regarg', close to the opposition, "the
government is making life difficult for the CENI" regarding the
organisation of early parliamentary elections in Togo.
The paper claims that the Independent National Electoral
Commission, or CENI, announced the new date of 10 March 2002
under pressure from the government, while financial means have
still not been provided by the latter.
Based on statements from the authorities, the paper adds that
"the government's posturing for a quick holding of the elections
is only hot air, since the RPT (Togolese Peoples Rally) regime is
actually multiplying obstacles within the CENI".
Meanwhile, 'Crocodile', also close to the opposition, writes that
the Union of the Forces of Change (UFC), of major opposition
leader Gilchrist Olympio, did not attend the meeting between
opposition leaders and the Togolese president.
The paper adds that, according to the UFC, Eyadema does not need
explanation from opposition leaders to understand that the
detention of Yawovi Agboyibo (an opposition leader) and Marc
Palanga, federal chairman of UFC in Kozah (Eyadema's native
region), daily attacks and the smear campaign against the
opposition in the state media, as well as other obstacles to the
activities of opposition parties, are violations of the Lome
Framework-Agreement.
For its part, 'Echos d'Afrique', which is close to the
government, argues that "the UFC does not care about the
suffering of the people".
It adds: "Gilchrist Olympio's party never takes the higher
ground, is bent on decimating the Togolese people (...) and has
opted for radicalism and absolutism".
It describes the talks between Eyadema and the opposition as "a
historic meeting" which the party (UFC) refused to attend for
fallacious, devious, unwarranted and unconvincing reasons".
"How can one understand the UFC's boycott of this major occasion
for give-and-take other than by a will to perpetuate the
suffering of the Togolese people who are longing for such
breathers?", the paper asks.
On its front page, 'La Matinee', also close to the government,
asks: "Guinea has amended its constitution, what is Togo waiting
for?"
The same paper poses another question: "Who in Togo ignores that
we need a more flexible constitution, with a presidential system
as in the United States, and without any limit as to age or the
number of presidential terms?"
