(independantexpress.net)
Started on February 6th and lasts two weeks, the election campaign effectively ended yesterday on February 20, 2020 across the entire national territory and in the diaspora. An election campaign that took place without major incidents and whose last day is made of demonstrations of force by several political parties. Togolese are just hours away from a new presidential election. An election whose turnout is a historic issue.
The political parties involved in the 2020 presidential election all followed the law ended the election campaign on Thursday, February 20, 2020. They carried out their various activities until late at night. Candidates have carried out their activities in most of the country's cities and even in small hamlets. Candidates except for a few were able to draw crowds in their path. As may come as a surprise, during the election campaign, Togolese people expressed interest in the upcoming presidential election. Turnout is expected to be much higher than in the last two elections that Togo has seen.
You don't have to be a prophet to predict it, the February 22 presidential election will have a high turnout. Protests on the campaign trail showed that the candidates convinced their activists and supporters to go and exercise their right to vote on polling day. Of course, in previous presidential elections, candidates from the opposition political class are often barred from accessing certain cities deemed to be committed to the cause of the ruling party. This time, however, they ran the campaign in almost every town in Togo despite some attempts to disrupt the activities of the ANC and the MPDD in the northern part of the country. This opening has renewed the attachment of Togolese to the presidential elections.
Another factor that will certainly affect the participation rate. Several political parties, which had initially lambasted the current electoral process and refused to participate, have mostly given their voting instructions. They urged their activists and supporters to go and exercise their right to vote and on a candidate of their choice. The UDS-Togo, the FDR, and the names Dr. Thon, Dr. Gnagnon gave voting instructions in this direction.
Without supporting any candidate, democratic civil society also invited the population to go to the polls on 22 February. Moreover, those who have always remained in the logic of boycott do not campaign for non-participation in the vote as could be the case.
One thing is certain, Togolese people will be in front of the polling stations in the next few hours.
The rate could be around 70%, according to an estimate conducted by media consultations of the newspaper The Independent Express.
I can't wait for their voices to be respected and the truth of the ballot boxes to transcend.
Amos DAYISSO
www.independantexpress.net