The Togolese leader, Faure Gnassingbé, has been appointed to the newly created role of President of the Council of Ministers, a powerful post with no term limits.
- Faure Gnassingbé has been appointed as President of the Council of Ministers with no term limits.
- Opposition denounces the move as a ‘constitutional coup’ to allow indefinite stay in power.
- The new role involves coordinating government action and overseeing policy implementation.
The Togolese leader, Faure Gnassingbé, has been appointed to the newly created role of President of the Council of Ministers, a powerful post with no term limits, in a move the opposition has denounced as a “constitutional coup” that could allow him to stay in power indefinitely.
The President of the Council of Ministers is tasked with coordinating government action, setting broad policy guidelines, and overseeing the implementation of the Council’s decisions, according to the presidency’s website.
The appointment was confirmed by the National Assembly on Saturday, which stated that Gnassingbé was granted the position as leader of the ruling party.
The change comes after constitutional reforms last year that transformed the presidency into a largely ceremonial role and transferred executive power to the head of the Council of Ministers.
Dynastic rule continues
Gnassingbé’s family has ruled the country for 58 years – Faure Gnassingbé took over in 2005 from his father, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who had ruled for almost four decades.
The latest shift has sparked renewed fears of democratic regression in a region already grappling with repeated coups and entrenched leadership.
Two opposition parties, the Democratic Forces for the Republic and the National Alliance for Change, who have boycotted the parliament, issued a joint statement condemning the move as an effort to entrench lifelong rule.
Togo’s municipal elections in July will be the first held under its newly adopted constitution, which transitions the country from a presidential to a parliamentary system.
