- Large majorities of Togolese support elections as the best way to choose their leaders (74%), favour a two-term limit on presidential mandates (82%), say many political parties are needed to ensure that voters have real choices (70%), and want their president to explain to Parliament how his administration spends taxpayers’ money (67%) (Figure 1).
- Fewer than half (48%) of citizens say Togo is “a full democracy” or “a democracy with minor problems,” and only one-third (33%) are “fairly satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the way democracy is working in their country (Figure 2). While more than half of citizens “approve” or “strongly approve” of the performance of their MP (55%) and think that elections work “fairly well” or “very well” to ensure that MPs reflect the views of voters (51%), only 47% say they trust Parliament “somewhat” or “a lot.” And only 15% say MPs “often” or “always” do their best to listen to what ordinary people have to say.
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.