Togo elects new president

LOME - Jean-Lucien Savi de Tove was elected by the Togolese parliament on Saturday as the West African country's new president, said the president's office.

He will succeed Faure Gnassingbe, who was sworn in earlier on Saturday as the President of Togo's Council of Ministers.

In May 2024, Togo's constitutional amendment came into effect, formally switching the country from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary system.

Under the new constitution, the president of Togo is elected by parliament to perform a largely ceremonial role for a four-year term, renewable once.

In addition, the new constitution introduced the position of "President of the Council of Ministers," to be held by the leader of the political party or coalition that wins the majority of seats in parliamentary elections, with a six-year mandate and considerable power in managing government affairs.

In April 2024, Togo's ruling party, the Union for the Republic led by Gnassingbe, won a majority in the legislative election, earning 108 out of 113 seats in the new National Assembly.

Savi de Tove, born in 1939, served as Togo's minister of commerce, industry and handicrafts from 2005 to 2007.