CALL FOR DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN TOGO

Author: Humanist Internacional

Zurich, 12 february 2005

Barely twenty-four hours after the official announcement of the death of President Eyadema, Togolese Deputies, the overwhelming majority (61 of 81) of which being members of the dead presidents party, voted for modifications to adapt the Constitution according to the decision of the Army. They thus modified, through raised hands and unanimously among the 67 members present, article 65 of the Constitution that foresaw that ”in case of death of the president of the republic (…), the presidential function will be provisionally exercised by the president of the National Assembly” and a presidential election will be organised “within 60 days “.

The modification remove the word “provisionally” and no longer mentions the organisation of a presidential election but stipulates that “the new president of the Republic will exercise this function for the remainder of the time left by his predecessor”, in this case June 2008. For good measure, the deputies then modified the article forbidding the revision of the Constitution for an interim period and arranged the electoral law in order to allow the return of Faure Gnassinbge to his constituency seat… as a precondition to his election to the Presidency of the Assembly. Finally, they voted to remove the president of the Assembly, Fambare Natchaba Ouattara, whoms return to Togo was obstructed by the closure of the borders ordered by the Army and who presently resides in Benin.

Facing these facts, which the African Union (AU) have denounced as, in effect, a “coup d‘etat”, the Humanist International denounces the flagrant violation of all democratic principles in transforming the previous Togolese dictatorship into an endless “hereditary dictatorship”.

We call on the Togolese government to not lose this historic chance to transform the country into a true democracy and to finally end the prehistory of totalitarian regimes. We call on them to take a courageous step towards a non-violent and non-discriminatory world and to represent their people and all those who embrace the birth of a Universal Human Nation based on the ideas of peace, real democracy, respect for human rights and non-discrimination and non-violence.

The Humanist International demands:

the Togolese regime to organise democratic elections, supervised by the United Nations.

the United Nations to pass a resolution clearly denouncing this antidemocratic procedure of the National Assembly and the armed forces of Togo

the international community, and above all the French government, to isolate the totalitarian regime of Togo and to stop making "good trade" over the back of the Togolese people.

At the same time, the Humanist International denounces the calls from the exiled opposition in Paris encouraging the Togolese people to “rise up”. Conscious of the fact that a totalitarian regime like the one in Togo is not going to allow a true democracy or a popular uprising, these calls are irresponsible and play games with human lives. Far from leading the Togolese people to a real democracy, these calls could rather put the country into a new civil war in Africa, which will cost the lives of thousands of human lives.

Therefore, the Humanist International affirms that the only way to combat violence is through the methodology of active non-violence.

uman beings.

Yours sincerely,

Daniel Horowitz - Humanist International

Daniel Horowitz

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CH-8052 Zürich

Tel +41-1-303 04 09

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e-mail humint@swissonline.ch

Secretary General

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