Togo votes today

Mar 4th, 2010 1:56 PM UTC
By Chris Scott

In what the Associated Press calls a test in democracy in the country, polls opened in Togo today.

AP has the details:

The son of Togo’s longruling dictator battled six opposition candidates during polls Thursday in the second election being held since the dictator’s death.

Faure Gnassingbe, who has vastly outspent the other candidates and has wallpapered the country with his campaign posters, is hoping to win a second term and erase memories of a reportedly fraudulent election that brought him to power five years ago.

On Thursday, Gnassingbe arrived at the polling station where his father used to vote, encircled by bodyguards who beat back the crowd. “It depends on the will of the people. If the people want me, I will win,” the 43-year-old said.

Known simply as “Faure,” the favorite son of Eyadema Gnassingbe assumed power in a military-backed coup hours after his father’s death on Feb. 5, 2005. Under intense international pressure, he agreed to briefly step down and hold elections, but the vote was marred by serious allegations of fraud including polling stations where the military burst in and made off with ballot boxes.

At least 400 people were killed in the violence that engulfed the country after the controversial results were announced.

Although seven candidates are in Thursday’s race, the contest is really between two families: Gnassingbe and Olympio.

TAGS: Governance and Security, ONE