Kofi Yamgnane, who is running for the presidential election in Togo has called on France and the European Union to do their utmost to ensure the transparency of the presidential elections scheduled to take place on 28 February 2010.
“I call on France and the European Union to ensure the holding of transparent presidential elections. They provided the funding for these elections, on that basis, I wish that they prevent electoral frauds,” said Kofi Yamgnane.
“Electoral frauds bring about contestation and chaos which result in killings,” he said before warning : “In that case, they should not shed crocodile tears to mourn the dead ; therefore, the population would be well-advised not to care about them.”
Yamgnane said that the EU and France are capable of funding transparent polls which are twofold so that both the opposition and the majority have an equal chance.
“They can also assist us in collecting the results and publishing them as soon as possible during the election night,” said the former Secretary of State for social affairs and integration in the government of late President François Mitterrand.
Speaking about the role played by France in the 2005 Togolese presidential election, he said that the former colonial power did not help ensure the transparency of the poll.
“On the contrary, the French did as best as they could so that things went wrong,” he went on, while wondering “what are the real and hidden interests of France in Togo which account for the fact that only dictators can preserve them instead of democrats ?”
“I would like France to answer to my question. What is the nature of those interests and why a democrat cannot preserve them ?” wondered again Kofi Yamgnane for whom the Togolese people think that there is “an office located on the Champs Elysées where potential candidates are trained to become Togolese heads of state.”
“The Togolese people are convinced that France played a key role in rigging the elections ; therefore the forthcoming presidential election must be held carefully to avoid frauds likely to bring about chaos,” he warned while he pointed out that, in the wake of what happened in Côte d’Ivoire, he does not want the population to attack French citizens.
Source African Press Agency
