Talks between Togolese leader Gnassingbe
Eyadema and President Jacques Chirac of France must be "an
opportunity for Paris to clarify its position with regard to the still
oppressive socio-political situation tenable in Togo".
This was the view of the Union of the Forces of Change (UFC),
one of the main parties of the Togolese opposition said.
In a communiqué issued in Paris where Eyadema is on a private
visit, the UFC said that Chirac has a major role to play in
Lome's political affairs since July 1999 during the signing of a
framework agreement in which he served as a moral guarantor
of the Togolese president to abide by his commitment.
UFC pointed out that despite the guarantee, France has remained
silent in the face of delaying tactics orchestrated since then by
the Togolese government, in its agenda to hinder the
implementation of the agreement.
"Since Jacques Chirac was the moral guarantor of Eyadema
during the inter-Togolese dialogue, we ask him to again publicly
and formally guarantee that the RPT (ruling Rally of the
Togolese Party) and its leader will be as good as their
commitment", the UFC, led by Gilchrist Olympio, said.
The communiqué noted that "obviously a date was set for the
holding of elections, that funding has been obtained but other
guarantees are needed".
