Togo's president was poised yesterday to extend his reign as
Africa's longest-serving leader, early vote counts from a weekend
election showed, as two opposition figures said that they had won
the poll.
With 40% of the votes from Sunday's election counted, incumbent Gnassingbe Eyadema had received 59% of ballots cast, the election commission said here late yesterday.
Emmanuel Bob Akitani of the main opposition Union of Forces for Change (UFC) party was running in second place with 35% of the vote, said the president of the commission (CENI), Petchelebia Abalo.
The announcement came after UFC's leader Gilchrist Olympio, who was seen as posing the main challenge to Eyadema but who was barred from the election, claimed that Akitani had won the poll in a statement from France, where he lives in exile.
It also followed a claim by Maurice Dahuku Pere, a former stalwart of the ruling party, that he had won the election.
Ceni said Pere had received 2,8% of the vote, according to preliminary results.
Both UFC and Pere earlier said Sunday's election was riddled with fraud.
Some 187 international observers from 29 organisations and countries monitored Sunday's vote, in which Eyadema, who has ruled the west African state for 36 years since wresting power in a coup in 1967, ran against five other candidates.
But his sternest challenger Olympio, the son of Togo's first president who was assassinated by soldiers in 1963, was banned from contesting the election because the electoral commission deemed his candidacy application to be incomplete.
The UFC denounced "massive fraud" in Sunday's election and called for a re-run.
"The acts of fraud uncovered today (Sunday) surpass even what we had expected: the early closing of polling stations, the buying of votes," UFC secretary general Jean-Pierre Fabre told a press conference on polling day.
The UFC alleged there had been incidents of ballot-stuffing, non-distribution of voter cards, and other fraud.
Eyadema's camp, meanwhile, accused the opposition of being sore losers.
"As is currently the tradition in Africa, those who feel they have lost are propagating rumours and allegations about the fairness of the elections," the statement released yesterday said.
"They are reminded that those who feel cheated in any way have legal recourse as provided for in the constitution and the law, which the government is committed to strictly enforcing," the statement said.
Some 3,2-million Togolese were eligible to vote, and turnout was about 70%, the electoral commission had said.
The commission had said that half the votes would have to be counted before it could set a date for the announcement of the official result.
Voting for the most part went peacefully, according to officials and security forces questioned Sunday by AFP, but two polling stations were ransacked and ballot boxes torched in the town of Tesvie, some 30 km north of Lome.
Eyadema, 67, said in 2001 that he would retire this year, as required by the constitution at the time.
But late last year, parliament, which is dominated by Eyadema's party, the Rally of Togolese People, amended the constitution, removing any reference to a two-term limit for the presidency and paving the way for Eyadema to run again.
Yesterday's government statement urged "all political actors to uphold their responsibilities" and expressed the desire of the government that "everyone contribute, in a climate of reconciliation, to the development of the country".
Eyadema on polling day urged the eventual winner to form a government of national unity, but did not give any details as to what his own plans for the country, should he be elected to another mandate.
Those running against Eyadema included former Prime Minister Edem Kodjo, who heads a grouping of four opposition parties, as well as the UFC candidate.
Opposition candidate Maurice Dahuku Pere, a former stalwart of the ruling party, ran on the Socialist Pact for Renewal party's ticket.
Candidates also included Yawovi Agboyibo of the Committee of Action for Renewal and independent candidate Nicolas Lawson, a businessman. – Sapa-AFP.
With 40% of the votes from Sunday's election counted, incumbent Gnassingbe Eyadema had received 59% of ballots cast, the election commission said here late yesterday.
Emmanuel Bob Akitani of the main opposition Union of Forces for Change (UFC) party was running in second place with 35% of the vote, said the president of the commission (CENI), Petchelebia Abalo.
The announcement came after UFC's leader Gilchrist Olympio, who was seen as posing the main challenge to Eyadema but who was barred from the election, claimed that Akitani had won the poll in a statement from France, where he lives in exile.
It also followed a claim by Maurice Dahuku Pere, a former stalwart of the ruling party, that he had won the election.
Ceni said Pere had received 2,8% of the vote, according to preliminary results.
Both UFC and Pere earlier said Sunday's election was riddled with fraud.
Some 187 international observers from 29 organisations and countries monitored Sunday's vote, in which Eyadema, who has ruled the west African state for 36 years since wresting power in a coup in 1967, ran against five other candidates.
But his sternest challenger Olympio, the son of Togo's first president who was assassinated by soldiers in 1963, was banned from contesting the election because the electoral commission deemed his candidacy application to be incomplete.
The UFC denounced "massive fraud" in Sunday's election and called for a re-run.
"The acts of fraud uncovered today (Sunday) surpass even what we had expected: the early closing of polling stations, the buying of votes," UFC secretary general Jean-Pierre Fabre told a press conference on polling day.
The UFC alleged there had been incidents of ballot-stuffing, non-distribution of voter cards, and other fraud.
Eyadema's camp, meanwhile, accused the opposition of being sore losers.
"As is currently the tradition in Africa, those who feel they have lost are propagating rumours and allegations about the fairness of the elections," the statement released yesterday said.
"They are reminded that those who feel cheated in any way have legal recourse as provided for in the constitution and the law, which the government is committed to strictly enforcing," the statement said.
Some 3,2-million Togolese were eligible to vote, and turnout was about 70%, the electoral commission had said.
The commission had said that half the votes would have to be counted before it could set a date for the announcement of the official result.
Voting for the most part went peacefully, according to officials and security forces questioned Sunday by AFP, but two polling stations were ransacked and ballot boxes torched in the town of Tesvie, some 30 km north of Lome.
Eyadema, 67, said in 2001 that he would retire this year, as required by the constitution at the time.
But late last year, parliament, which is dominated by Eyadema's party, the Rally of Togolese People, amended the constitution, removing any reference to a two-term limit for the presidency and paving the way for Eyadema to run again.
Yesterday's government statement urged "all political actors to uphold their responsibilities" and expressed the desire of the government that "everyone contribute, in a climate of reconciliation, to the development of the country".
Eyadema on polling day urged the eventual winner to form a government of national unity, but did not give any details as to what his own plans for the country, should he be elected to another mandate.
Those running against Eyadema included former Prime Minister Edem Kodjo, who heads a grouping of four opposition parties, as well as the UFC candidate.
Opposition candidate Maurice Dahuku Pere, a former stalwart of the ruling party, ran on the Socialist Pact for Renewal party's ticket.
Candidates also included Yawovi Agboyibo of the Committee of Action for Renewal and independent candidate Nicolas Lawson, a businessman. – Sapa-AFP.
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