Eyadema tries to improve relations with EU

The presidents of Togo, Gnassingbe Eyadema, and the European Commission, Romano Prodi, held talks on Monday in Brussels on Togo's political situation and bilateral relations. Eyadema told Prodi his country was suffering because the EU had cut financial aid following controversial elections in 1998. He blamed the aid cut on opposition parties which had lobbied against his government after the elections, the pro-government Republic of Togo online news service reported. On the other hand, Eyadema acknowledged that lack of communication between Togo and the EU also contributed to the poor relations between them, the news service reported. Prodi responded by asking Eyadema to hold long-awaited legislative elections, which have been repeatedly postponed since 2000, news agencies reported. Monday's meeting was the first between Eyadema and Prodi since last month's suspension of EU's funding for the facilitation of an ongoing dialogue between pro-government and opposition parties in Togo. Togo's political climate started to deteriorate soon after the 1998 presidential elections, which the opposition accused Eyadema's government of rigging. The opposition went on to boycott legislative elections in 1999 in protest. Following a 1999 agreement, the two sides began a dialogue with a view to organising fresh elections. For three years, the dialogue was facilitated by the EU, France, Germany and la Francophonie. However, the EU decided to stop funding the facilitation when it expired on 31 May 2002 "because, instead of advancing, the electoral process has been marking time", an EU official in Lome told IRIN at the time. The EU move came a few weeks after the government decided to have a college of seven judges organise legislative elections. Under the 1999 agreement, the polls were to have been organised and supervised by a National Independent Electoral Commission.