INTERVIEW – Togolese express support for elections offer mixed reviews
of Parliament, Afrobarometer survey shows

Togolese citizens express strong support for elections and offer mixed reviews of their
parliamentary representatives, according to the most recent Afrobarometer survey.
The country’s legislators on Monday adopted a new Constitution changing from a
presidential to a parliamentary system, giving Parliament, rather than citizens, the power to
elect the president.

Survey findings from 2022 show that most Togolese support democratic norms and practices,
including elections as the best way to choose their leaders, presidential term limits, multiparty
competition, and presidential accountability to Parliament.
But only about one in three citizens say they are satisfied with the way their democracy is
working.

Perceptions of members of Parliament (MPs) are mixed: While a slim majority approve of their
representative’s performance and think that elections ensure that MPs reflect their views,
fewer than half say they trust Parliament, and very few think that MPs listen to what their
constituents have to say

Lionel Osse Essima, the Assistant surveys manager, Afrobarometer speaks to WADR about this development.