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Saturday, March 6, 2010

Togo's opposition, ruling party claim election win

Sat Mar 6, 2010

The main opposition candidate and the ruling-party in Togo have both claimed victory in the presidential election as vote counting continues in the West African nation.

Government spokesman Pascal Bodjona on Friday declared a resounding victory for the ruling Rally for the Togolese People Party and President Faure Gnassingbe, who is running for a second term in office.

A statement by the ruling party also called on opposition leaders to reunite so as to preserve the general calm that existed throughout the vote.

Earlier in the day, opposition candidate Jean-Pierre Fabre alleged widespread irregularities in Thursday's vote, but maintained he was the victor of the presidential polls.

Speaking at a news conference in Lome late Friday, the candidate of the Union of Forces for Change said his party had polled an average of 75 to 80 percent of the vote, a figure that he said would have been higher without manipulations such as stuffing ballot boxes.

But the ruling party has rejected the alleged abnormalities and accused the opposition of efforts to instigate violence.

According to the United Nations, an estimated 400 people were killed in the violence that broke out on the heels of the 2005 presidential election, which, according to the world body, also led thousands of Togolese to seek refuge in Ghana and Benin.

President Gnassingbe is running for re-election after winning that 2005 vote, following the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled Togo for almost two decades.

Final results from the Thursday's vote are expected on Saturday or Sunday.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://edition.presstv.ir/detail/120151.html.

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