Togo police fire tear gas as thousands protest

Reuters    Translate This Article
13 June 2012

LOME (Reuters) - Togolese security forces fired tear gas to disperse thousands of people protesting on Wednesday against proposed changes to parliament and voting rules ahead of a legislative poll later this year, a Reuters witness said.

The protest was the second in three days of demonstrations called by the opposition-led 'Save Togo' campaign seeking to reverse laws adopted by the ruling party-dominated parliament last month.

A Reuters witness said police deployed in the streets of the capital Lome in the early afternoon and were still removing burning tyres and bricks.

'We will not give up..,' said Jean-Pierre Fabre, leader of the ANC, a major opposition party. 'We will not let the government unilaterally decide on matters relating to the elections. Everything must be agreed on through consensus'.

There was no immediate statement from the government.

The opposition wants constituencies redrawn to address imbalances it says favour the ruling party and is challenging a move to increase from 81 to 91 the number of seats in parliament.

Togo's President Faure Gnassingbe came to power in flawed and violent 2005 elections following the death of his father.

He was re-elected in a March 2010 poll that foreign officials said showed some improvement and some businessmen say he has taken some initial steps to push through some reforms.

Gnassingbe and his allies control over 50 of the current 81-seat parliament.

(Reporting by John Zodzi; Writing by David Lewis)

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