Togo- opening of the electoral campaign on April 04: What will they do to convince a desperate people?

The electoral campaign for the double ballot (legislative and regional) of April 20, 2024 officially opens on Thursday April 4, 2024. This is the stage during which each candidate presents his or her vision of society to the electorate, who have the final say at the ballot box. It is also the stage during which each candidate will need to surround himself with an efficient, competent human resource with a mastery of geopolitics.

It's all going to come down to financial and material resources, not forgetting our country's history on the one hand, and our track record on the other. Togo, an underdeveloped country like most African nations, is still struggling to get off the ground economically.

What realistic plans will they put in place for the well-being of their populations if they are elected on the evening of April 20?

This is the question on which many will base their assessment of the speeches of the various candidates. Will they be able to convince the voters, who are increasingly aware of the socio-political and socio-economic realities of the country that is arbitrating them?

Poverty, precariousness, misery, land disputes, inefficient services in university hospitals and peripheral care units, lack of nursing staff, lack of adequate equipment and appliances, etc., are crucial problems undermining Togolese societies in general and grassroots communities in particular.

What will they say to reassure people?

Added to these major ills are corruption, nepotism, localized tyranny, professional unconsciousness, injustice, the existence of an unjust and corrupt justice system, and the sometimes disproportionate use of military force on citizens. Likewise, for decades Togo has had an opposition that knows only how to issue press releases without any acts of appropriate intelligence.

What will they do to convince voters, who are often the victims of these evils?

Even if certain problems seem to have been solved in some places, people are still not able to live.

The actions already taken by the various political parties in the field are ample proof that the double legislative and regional elections are shaping up to be very close. This assessment is reinforced by the nature of the double ballot. This is the first time Togo has experimented with a double ballot. This political breakthrough must be accompanied by transparency, freedom and a level playing field for all players.

Will the opposition in the outgoing assembly also be able to convince?

The modification of the Togolese constitution continues to be the subject of much speculation. The change from a presidential to a parliamentary system, while the term of office of the deputies has expired, is a poorly-concealed attempt to disregard the interests of the people. Will the opposition, which has betrayed the people by voting for this new constitution, be able to convince the population that it still has seats in the National Assembly? In any case, the days ahead will tell.

As a reminder, the Togolese legislative elections of 2024 take place on April 20, 2024, to elect the 113 members of Togo's National Assembly. The first-ever regional elections in the country's history are being held simultaneously.

President Faure Gnassingbé's Union pour la République (UNIR) holds the absolute majority of seats in the outgoing assembly.

The defender