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Faure Gnassingbé and Jean Lucien Savi of Tové were respectively elected, Saturday, May 3, 2025, president of the Council of Ministers and President of the Togolese Republic by deputies and senators, thus closing the installation of the various institutions planned by the new Constitution of May 6, 2024 which changed Togo in the 5th Republic by passing from the presidential regime to the parliamentary regime.
This constitution had planned for a year of transition during which, the power in place should institute a Senate, to elect (by the Parliament and the Grouped Senate) the President of the Council of Ministers (new name of the Prime minister) and the new President of the Republic. It is a marathon day which therefore took place this May 03 in Lomé to finalize this process within the deadlines.
After the resignation, the day before, of the government led by Victoire Tomegah-Dogbé, the deputies first gathered on May 03, in accordance with article 47 of the new Constitution, to designate Faure Gnassingbé, in power as President of the Republic since 20 years (April 2005), as new President of the Council of Ministers.
This designation was quickly followed a little more than 2 hours later, from the performance of his oath before the Togolese Constitutional Court for a renewable 6 -year term. From now on, in this capacity, he holds the supervisive power of the 5th Republic and has received allegiance of the army. He will form his first government in the coming days.
Then, it was the turn of the Congress bringing together the deputies and the senators, to designate Jean Lucien Savi de Tové, 86 years old, former minister and an opponent of the South-Togo from the Ewe ethnicity, founding member of the Pan-African Patriotic Convergence (CPP), and the only candidate in the running proposed by the Party in power, as President of the Togolese Republic. The latter, according to Kodjo Adedze, president of the congress, met all the criteria defined by the new Constitution.
“He is exclusively of Togolese birth nationality, over 86, enjoying his civil and political rights, and in good physical and mental health according to medical expertise. It has resided on national territory for more than 12 months, “he said before the vote.
Note that according to the provisions of the new Constitution, the post of the President of the Republic is now only honorary. All state powers being reserved for the Chairman of the Council of Ministers.
– “a crime against the people”, according to the opposition
The opponents Jean Pierre Fabre (President of the National Alliance for the Change-ANC and ex-head of the Togolese opposition) and Me Paul Dodzi Apevon (President of the Democratic Forces for the Republic-FDR), two elected deputies, refused to sit in dispute of the new constitution of May 06, 2024, while the dynamics for the majority of the people (DMP) reacted to a press conference at the start of the evening, SATURDAY.
“The parliamentarians as well as the members of the Constitutional Court who participated in the crime committed Today against the Togolese people, by validating the choice of an all -powerful council of ministers although not elected by the people, by electing a President of the Republic in place of the sovereign people, and by receiving the oath of the new illegitimate officials, will be held responsible for history. They will have betrayed the sovereignty of the Togolese people. “Said this grouping of several parties and organizations of civil society in its introductory declaration before calling the Togolese population to the Resistance by referring to article 150 of the old Constitution.
Brigitte Kafui Adjamagbo Johnson, president of the DMP and deputy absent in the assembly during the events of this May 03, called on the Togolese to join massively to the public demonstration of the ANC and the FDR scheduled for May 4 in Lomé.
Nathaniel Olympio, president of the Togolese party and spokesperson of the front “Touche not to my Constitution” created in the wake of the adoption of the Constitution of May 06, 2024, joined by Anadolu, qualifies the day of “sad” for the whole nation.
“Today is a sad day for the Togolese. Faure Gnassingbé closes the process of his 5th Republic. It is something that he decided alone in violation of the sovereignty of the Togolese people who withstanding anger and determination. He’s not going to accept this. Now, we must expect everything in this period of great uncertainty which opens with two constitutions that compete. That of 1992 voted by the Togolese at 98% and that of 2024 that Faure Gnassingbé imposed on the Togolese, “said Nathaniel Olympio.
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