Low turnout in Togo municipal polls after deadly protests

After the country was shook by deadly protests last month, Togo has voted in municipal elections despite reports of voter apathy.

On Thursday, Lome, the capital of Togo, had largely deserted polling stations. Following the protests in June that threatened to end Faure Gnassingbe’s rule for the rest of his life, the low turnout resulted in the protests.

Seven marchers’ bodies were found by activists in the capital’s rivers, where they were later blamed on the police, according to rights groups.

Edem Adjaklo, a voter in the Gakli neighborhood, told The Associated Press that “people are afraid of being attacked by protesters for legitimizing these elections” or “of being dispersed by security forces.”

They believe that voting is pointless because the outcomes are predetermined and always the same.

A large police and military presence at major intersections reportedly increased the sense of unease in Lome.

The streets of the seaside capital were quiet on Thursday despite a call for demonstrations against Gnassingbe.

Gnassingbe has ruled the nation since 2005, following the passing of his father and Gnassingbe Eyadema, the country’s president.

The country’s presidential system was replaced by a parliamentary one thanks to the constitutional reforms, which were approved by a parliament led by Gnassingbe’s Union pour le Republic (UNIR).

Gnassingbe was appointed president of the Council of Ministers two months ago, effectively serving as prime minister, a position that had no formal term limits, which would allow him to be re-elected indefinitely.

It was referred to as a “constitutional coup” by critics.

The elections, which were the first national vote organized since the constitutional reform, were being demanded by diaspora-based social media influencers and civil society organizations.

Popular rapper TikToker Tchala Essowe Narcisse, also known as Aamron, was detained for publishing a video in which he demanded protests to honor the president’s birthday on June 6. This year’s wave of protests came to an end.

The economy’s state, the prevalence of unemployment, and the government’s criticism of the government had also been roiling.

Since the 2017 and 2018 protests, which saw thousands of protesters taking to the streets in demonstrations tagged “Faure Must Go” and “Togo stands up,” public demonstrations have been prohibited in the nation.