Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé is expected to assume the role of President of the Council of Ministers following his party’s landslide victory in the recent senatorial elections. With UNIR securing 34 out of 41 Senate seats, the shift from a presidential to a parliamentary system cancels the February 22 presidential election. While the government claims this strengthens democracy, the opposition and civil society see it as a move to extend Gnassingbé’s rule.