Togo Holds Low-Turnout Municipal Elections Amid Protests, Reforms

Togo held municipal elections on July 17, 2025, to elect leaders for 117 municipalities amidst widespread tension and low voter turnout. The elections followed a controversial constitutional reform in May 2024 that shifted the country to a parliamentary system and appointed President Faure Gnassingbé as President of the Council of Ministers, a role with no term limits, sparking significant opposition and protests. Youth-led demonstrations in June 2025, demanding Gnassingbé's resignation, were met with police force resulting in several deaths and allegations of repression. Opposition groups condemned the elections as illegitimate, accusing the ruling party of consolidating power, while calls for boycotts and international arrest warrants for activists added to the political strain. Despite heavy security and closed borders, the voting process remained calm but largely boycotted, reflecting public fear and apathy. This election marked the first municipal vote under Togo's new constitutional framework, continuing a dynastic rule by the Gnassingbé family since 1967.