Five months after his inauguration, Prime Minister Faure Essozimna Gnassingbe unveiled the composition of the first government of the Fifth Togolese Republic on Tuesday.
This move marks the official entry into force of the new parliamentary system, established by the Constitution promulgated on May 6, 2024.
By decree signed on October 8, the head of the executive branch appointed a government team of members, including full ministers and delegate ministers, reflecting a desire to modernize public action. Key strategic appointments include Cina Lawson for Public Service Efficiency and Digital Transformation, Professor Robert Dussey for Foreign Affairs, and Essowe Georges Barcola for Finance and Budget.
Strategic portfolios, such as Defense, Civil Service, and Transport, remain under the Presidency of the Council, significantly consolidating the Prime Minister’s executive prerogatives. This government formation follows the overwhelming victory of Gnassingbé’s Union for the Republic (UNIR), which secured of the seats in the April 29, 2024, legislative elections.
This political shift establishes the Prime Minister as the central executive figure, while the President of the Republic, Jean-Lucien Savi de Tove, now assumes an honorary role. However, the opposition remains vocal, contesting the transition and viewing it as a maneuver to extend Faure Gnassingbe’s power beyond his four presidential terms.
AC/Sf/fss/abj/APA