Togo's main opposition party chooses leader as 2020 flagbearer

The main opposition party in Togo has validated its leader, Jean Pierre Fabre as a candidate for the presidential election scheduled for early 2020.

His confirmation was held at a congress by his National Alliance for Change party on Saturday.

“I accept to be the standard-bearer to achieve an alternative with you and real change”, he said.

For the main opponent of the current regime, it is important that Togolese fight “for reforms aimed at improving the electoral framework in the unity of action”.

“Together we will exert the necessary pressure to obtain what we call the improvement of the electoral framework”, Fabre added.

A central figure of the opposition, Fabre has already taken part in the presidential elections of 2010 and 2015. He has always placed second with 33.93 and 35.19% of the votes respectively.

Fabre took the opportunity to invite President Faure Gnassingbé, who has been in power since 2005 after the death of his father, not to run for a fourth term to avoid “socio-political tensions” in the country.

A recent constitutional review allows Gnassingbé not only to stand for re-election in 2020 and 2025, but for life.