Paritary committee holds its first meeting

A paritary committee comprising representatives of Togo's government and opposition held its first meeting on Tuesday in Lome, AFP reported. The 24-member committee, equally divided between the ruling party and the opposition, was created under the Lome Accord, an agreement signed between the two sides on 29 July at inter-party talks in the Togolese capital. The committee's work includes ensuring the implementation of the Lome Accord, whose main provisions are the establishment of an independent electoral commission and the drawing up of a law on political parties as well as one that makes provisions for ex heads of state. The paritary committee is also supposed to prepare a national reconciliation forum. July's talks were held to resolve a political crisis that came to a head with presidential elections in June 1998. President Gnassingbe Eyadema was proclaimed the winner but the opposition rejected the result, charging that the election was rigged.