Backlash over President's perceived power grab

Togo’s opposition has denounced a proposed new Constitution as a power grab intended to extend the reign of President Faure Gnassingbé. The reforms would see the country move from a presidential to a parliamentary system. BBC News notes that the opposition says the reforms are a ruse to keep Gnassingbé – already in his fourth term – in power. The President's supporters say the changes would reduce the powers of the head of state by transforming the presidency into a ceremonial role. The constitutional changes were approved by lawmakers last month. But in the face of mounting public anger, Gnassingbé paused the reforms and said they would be subject to further consultations.

Meanwhile, leaders from the West African regional bloc, Ecowas, have climbed down on their initial announcement that they were visiting Togo ‘due to the seriousness of the controversial constitutional reforms that the government planned to introduce’. Those words were part of a press release that was published on X on Monday then deleted on Tuesday. BBC News notes that it was replaced by a new press release that instead called it a simple ‘information mission’ and insisted that Ecowas delegates would ‘not engage in any other process as indicated in a previous press release, which has been withdrawn’. Ecowas has been under considerable pressure after recent diplomatic efforts to steer the region's burgeoning military juntas back to democracy failed.