Togo Campaign Rallies Take Over the Streets of Lome as Parties Attempt to Woo Voters

Opposition protestors rally against the results of recent legislative polls, in Lome, Togo, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2013.

By Jerry Fisayo-Bambi and Noël Tadegnon

**The electoral campaign for Togo's legislative and regional elections kicked off Saturday in the country's capital Lome. The Alliance nationale pour le changement, one of the opposition parties, launched its campaign with great fanfare, with a caravan through the streets of Lomé. **

The campaign is taking place against a backdrop of protests over the government's constitutional change.

"We're here with serenity, because we know we're going to fight them. We won't let an adept of the permanent power grab impose his vision on us" says Jean-Pierre Fabre, President of the ANC.

For the Forces Démocratiques Républicaines FDR, another opposition party, the question of changing the constitution is a major issue at stake in these elections.

"We want to hold a sanction vote. So that whatever they do, in the ballot box, we're going to beat them to say that strength lies with the people" Emmanuel Alatodé one of the card-carrying members of the FDR told Africanews.

Meanwhile, supporters of the ruling UNIR party also took to the streets, out to conquer the electorate. After criss-crossing several roads of the Togolese capital, they all converged on a meeting point to listen to their leaders.

"The challenge is simple- to confirm the confidence and support of the Togolese people in everything we're doing. But at the same time, to say to the Togolese people, we will listen to them and we will act to improve and accelerate everything we have done so far" according to Gilbert Bawara, Minister and member of the ruling party.

Africanews correspondent Noël Tadegnon reports that more than 2,000 candidates from political parties and independents are vying for 113 seats as MPs and 179 seats as regional councillors.

They have two weeks to convince 4 million voters ahead the voted scheduled for Monday April 29.