Landslide win for ruling party at legislative polls

Togo's ruling Rassemblement du Peuple Togolais (RPT - Togolese People's Rally) won 72 of the 81 seats up for grabs at legislative elections held on Sunday but boycotted by the main opposition parties. Four other political parties and one independent candidate shared the remaining nine seats, according to provisional results announced on Tuesday by a committee of seven judges. International observers said the polls were "sincere, transparent, democratic and definitely credible". They noted "some minor problems, which were later rectified, with regard to voting materials, organisation and the voting process" but said these did not affect the validity of the election. Opposition parties that boycotted the election formed a group called the Coalition des Forces Democratiques (Coalition of Democratic Forces). They said their priority was "the end of the RPT system and the departure of the head of state by 2003 at the latest, in keeping with the Togolese constitution". Following controversial presidential elections in June 1998, negotiations between the ruling RPT and the opposition had led to a framework agreement and the establishment of a paritary follow-up committee tasked with the implementation of the accord. After the committee completed its work, a paritary election commission was formed to organise early legislative polls on the basis of an electoral code approved by consensus. The Independent National Electoral Commission encountered a number of bottlenecks which prevented it from working as it should. As a result, it was dissolved and replaced by a commission of seven magistrates. The electoral code was then unilaterally amended by the government, which prompted opposition parties that had signed the accord to boycott the polls. The U.S. government expressed its regret, in a communique issued on Tuesday by the US Embassy, at the fact that the elections did not allow "broad participation by all the main political parties". This, it said, was a missed opportunity for Togo's political and economic development, adding that the United States urged all Togolese to redouble their efforts towards an all-inclusive national dialogue.