Togo History

Opposition Parties Enter Political Fray

In Aug. 2006, the government and six political parties signed an agreement calling for the creation of a transitional government that would include opposition parties. Yawovi Agboyibo took office as the first prime minister in September. The Ruling Rally of the Togolese People party won 49 of 81 seats in Parliamentary elections in October 2007. It was the first time the opposition participated in elections in nearly 20 years. Agboyibo resigned in November 2007 and was replaced by Komlan Mally.

Gnassingbe was reelected in March 2010, taking 61% of the vote, and the primary opposition candidate, Jean-Pierre Fabre of the Union of Forces for Change (UFC), received 35%. The UFC accused the incumbent president of widespread fraud, rejected the election results, and launched several protests. Gnassingbe and the leader of the UFC negotiated a deal in which the UFC would join the government. The party, however, refused to accept the deal.

After weeks of anti-government demonstrations, Prime Minister Gilbert Houngbo resigned in early July 2012. On July 19, Kwesi Ahoomey-Zunu was named prime minister; on July 31 he named his 29-member government which included Col. Damehane Yark as security minister.