Did Togo's legislative elections deliver a sweeping majority?

Togo's legislative elections delivered a sweeping majority for the ruling party, the country's electoral commission announced late on Saturday. The results pave the way for President Faure Gnassingbé,

Who won 108 seats in Togo?

The ruling Union for the Republic won 108 of the 113 seats. Togo's political life is dominated by the ruling Union for the Republic (UNIR), whose leader Faure Gnassingbé has been in power since the death of his father Gnassingbé Eyadéma in 2005.

Why are the Togolese protesting?

“The Togolese have spoken clearly in our favor,” Gilbert Bawara, a ruling party spokesman, told The Associated Press. Both the opposition and religious leaders have called for protests after they rejected the legislation passed by lawmakers in March after their mandate expired.

How many people voted in Togo's parliamentary election?

Nearly half of Togo’s 8.8 million people were registered to vote in the election that had been previously postponed on at least two occasions amid controversies over the new legislation. An opposition party spokesman, Eric Dupuy, told the AP there was no “real opposition” in the parliamentary vote.

How many women are registered to vote in Togo?

Nearly 4.2 million Togolese are registered to vote. Of the 2,348 candidates for the legislative elections, 593 of them are women, while 438 women are also running in regional elections. Campaigning began on 13 April and ran until 28 April.

Is there a'real opposition' in Togo's parliamentary vote?

An opposition party spokesman, Eric Dupuy, told the AP there was no “real opposition” in the parliamentary vote. “What’s happening in Togo is akin to North Korea,” he said. Analysts also raised concerns about that the election did not meet voters’ expectations.