TOGO: YOUTHS ON LOME MARCH TO PROTEST THE DATE SET FOR ELECTIONS AS FAURE GNASSINGBE HITS THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Record ID: 648027

  • Title: TOGO: YOUTHS ON LOME MARCH TO PROTEST THE DATE SET FOR ELECTIONS AS FAURE GNASSINGBE HITS THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
  • Date: 9th April 2005
  • Summary: (BN1) LOME, TOGO (APRIL 11, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV OF PROTESTERS TEARING DOWN ELECTION POSTER PROMOTING FAURE GNASSINGBE FROM LARGE BILLBOARD (2 SHOTS) 0.06 2. LV PROTESTERS MARCHING IN STREET OF LOME 0.09 3. SLV POLICE LINE BLOCKING STREET 0.13 4. TV OF PROTESTERS MARCHING 0.16 5. MCU OPPOSITION COALITION LEADER YAOVI AGBOYIBO ADDRESSING PROTESTERS 0.21 6. LV PROTESTERS SHOUTING AND WAVING 0.25 (BN1) ATAKPAME, NORTHERN TOGO (APRIL 9, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 7. SV FAURE GNASSINGBE ARRIVING AT ATAKPAME STADIUM 0.30 8. MCU GNASSINGBE SPEAKING TO SUPPORTERS 0.42 9. LV CROWD CHEERING IN STADIUM 0.46 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 24th April 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LOME AND ATAKPAME, TOGO
  • Country: Togo
  • Reuters ID: LVA3VTM58PCLFA2TVGVKHYRZGRZR
  • Story Text: Youths in Lome march to protest the date set for
    elections as Faure Gnassingbe, son of late leader
    Gnassingbe Eyedema, hits the campaign trail.



    Some 2,000 young opposition protesters marched
    through Togo's capital Lome on Monday (April 11), shouting
    that they would not take part in this month's elections and
    ripping up posters of the ruling party's candidate.

    The march is just the latest organised by a coalition
    of six opposition parties who accuse the government of
    rigging voters' list and want April 24 presidential polls
    to be postponed.

    The elections were called after the death in February
    of former President Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled the
    former French colony for 38 years and brooked little
    opposition.

    Protests last week ended in running battles between
    youths and police. At least one person was killed and
    several injured.

    Monday's march in the seaside capital Lome ended
    peacefully but organisers said they would demonstrate again
    on Tuesday (April 12).

    Togo slipped closer to chaos when Eyadema died and the
    army named his son, Faure Gnassingbe, as leader, violating
    the constitution. Under intense international pressure,
    Gnassingbe agreed to step down at the end of February and
    run in elections.

    During Monday's march, youths tore Gnassingbe's posters
    from signboards and ripped them up, shouting: "We will not
    vote".

    Gnassingbe's opponents in the vote are coalition
    opposition candidate Emmanuel Akitani-Bob; the head of a
    small opposition party, Harry Olympio; and businessman
    Nicolas Lawson.

    Official campaigning began last week and on Saturday
    (March 9) Gnassingbe, who is standing for the ruling RPT
    party, toured the northern town of Atakpame, where he held
    a campaign rally.

    The opposition demands have sharpened fears of violence
    in Togo, which was gripped by political unrest in the 1990s.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register