Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08LOME373
2008-07-23 17:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Lome
Cable title:  

TOGO: UFC HOLDS 2ND PARTY CONGRESS, CHOOSES

Tags:  PGOV KDEM TO UV 
pdf how-to read a cable
R 231740Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY LOME
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8662
INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L LOME 000373 


E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM TO UV
SUBJECT: TOGO: UFC HOLDS 2ND PARTY CONGRESS, CHOOSES
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR 2010 ELECTIONS

REF: A. LOME 263

B. LOME 337

C. LOME 360


Classified By: Political Officer Susan Walke for Reasons 1.4 (b,d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L LOME 000373


E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/22/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM TO UV
SUBJECT: TOGO: UFC HOLDS 2ND PARTY CONGRESS, CHOOSES
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE FOR 2010 ELECTIONS

REF: A. LOME 263

B. LOME 337

C. LOME 360


Classified By: Political Officer Susan Walke for Reasons 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) Summary. The Union of the Forces of Change (UFC),the
largest opposition party in Togo, held its 2nd party Congress
on July 18-19 in Lome, Togo. The party released a number of
resolutions concerning the political way forward and chose
its candidate for the 2010 presidential elections. Aside from
a highly-publicized tiff with Action Committee for Change
(CAR) president Yaovi Agboyibo and disagreement within the
youth wing of the UFC, the congress was a success. In a
subsequent meeting, UFC president Gilchrist Olympio expanded
upon his vision of the way ahead, but with considerable
frustration as to how obstacles remain in his own path to be
elected head of state. The party faces difficulties unless
constitutional and institutional reforms are made and the
process of reconciliation is furthered. End Summary.


2. (SBU) General. The theme of the UFC party congress was
"Realizing true change in Togo with a UFC candidate." The
opening ceremony included speakers from several small parties
allied with the UFC. All major diplomatic missions were
represented at the opening, and France, China, and the U.S.
at the closing. (Note. The Chinese told a diplomatic
colleague afterward that their attendance at a political
party meeting was a breakthrough for them; they had never
gone to one before. End Note). Sessions were well attended
and went very late into the night. Even state television
gave good coverage to the opening once it finished showing
the wrestling that President Faure was watching up north.
The state press summarized the closing, and the private press
gave the results far more attention. The Gendarmerie
provided Olympio good security protection.


3. (U) Leadership. At the conclusion of the congress, the
new governing board of the UFC was announced. Gilchrist
Olympio was re-elected as the president of the party and also
chosen to be the party's presidential candidate in 2010.
Jean-Pierre Fabre continues as the Secretary General, and
Patrick Lawson is now 1st Vice-President instead of 3rd.


4. (U) Issues. Olympio struck a responsive chord in his
opening speech when he observed that after 40 years of

independence, 80 percent of the population lives below the
poverty line. He added that the situation has worsened with
the "dizzying" increase in prices of daily necessities and
cement and called for a number of urgent actions to be taken.
The party congress adopted some sixteen resolutions and
issued statements on social issues, specifically the security
of the population, political prisoners, alleviating the food
crisis, cleaning up corruption, and ending the suffering of
the Togolese people. It did not always offer ideas as to how
to resolve the problems. One resolution requested that
implementation of the Global Political Agreement (GPA)
continue, asking specifically that Burkinabe President Blaise
Compaore help with political reforms and requesting greater
opposition participation in the Truth, Justice, and
Reconciliation process. Several resolutions discussed the
upcoming elections and security concerns and requested
international community assistance.


5. (C) Disconnects. Two minor glitches dogged the congress.
The UFC publicized the fact that it had invited CAR President
(and former Prime Minister) Agboyibo to attend the congress,
hinting that it was a done deal. That would have meant that
the country's third most important party, and its other best
known opposition figure, were tacitly aligned with the UFC.
When we met with Agboyibo last week, he said angrily that he
would not be attending due to an insult he received from
Olympio. Agboyibo complained that the UFC wants the
opposition to unite as long as the UFC takes the lead role, a
position his party will not support. This turn of events was
a surprise, as Fabre indicated a few months ago that
relations between the parties had vastly improved (reftel A).
The second incident involved the youth movement within the
UFC, which rose up in opposition against the person the
leadership was foisting on it as national secretary for youth
and actually took over the party congress for a time. The
leadership finally agreed to give its candidate a provisional
appointment, with new youth bodies to be elected in all
prefectures, and they in turn to elect a new representative.
We encountered some bad feelings about party democracy after
that incident.


6. (C) Meeting with Olympio. Ambassador and PolOff called on
the UFC President at his residence July 22. We were joined by
Fabre, Lawson, and eventually the Nigerian Ambassador to
Togo, among others. Olympio detailed the many reasons he is
not technically eligible to run for president and lamented
the lack of clarity pertaining to the rules. He is currently
not qualified to run based on residency requirements, the
fact that he holds dual citizenship and claims not to know
how to legally give up his French citizenship, and age
limits. These limitations were added during 2003
constitutional changes. We told him that ruling party
heavies assured us that President Faure intends to turn a
blind eye at these restrictions but Olympio noted, rightly,
that it is the Constitutional Court and not Faure which ends
up ruling on such issues. President Olympio did suggest he
would feel better if Faure would state in writing that he
will disregard these legal issues.


7. (U) "Victimization." Olympio continues to characterize
his party as solely a victim. He stated that he has gone
along with many "unfair proposals" just to ensure that the
democratization process continues to move forward. The UFC
President noted several times that both the ruling Rally of
the Togolese people (RPT) and the UFC received roughly
900,000 votes in the October 2007 legislative elections, yet
the RPT has 50 seats and the UFC only 27 due to unfair
districting. According to Olympio, while his party realized
the inequity of the ratio, it did not want to stop the
process and thus allowed it to move forward. He also stated
that while he was consulted as to who would be appropriate as
a facilitator for the GPA, none of his suggestions were
chosen, and Blaise Compaore was dropped upon him. While he
does not have a problem with Compaore as the facilitator, he
is worried that the process is not continuing to advance, and
that Compaore has become tired of the entire business and
believes that Togo is a minor issue (for him). In both
meetings led by Compaore in which the UFC representatives are
vastly outnumbered by others of lesser importance, and in
other actions liked to the GPA, Olympio feels as if the UFC
continues to give in with little gain.


8. (C) Comment. The theme of change is an obvious choice
given the dictatorial history of Togo. However, the results
of the UFC party congress give little indication as to how
the UFC would govern, if elected. While criticism of the
government abounds, the UFC does not offer any alternate
solutions. We were seeking to obtain from Olympio an idea as
to how he intends to proceed over the next two years.
Instead, he has again now left the country, to return who
knows when. Perhaps most importantly, Olympio continues to
see himself personally as the target of the machinations of
the ruling establishment and focuses on little else, rather
than carefully considering his role and what is best overall
for the party. Some within the party appear disgruntled with
his continued leadership. Indeed, the new slate of officers
was literally handed down to the Congress from Olympio and
his close associates, with the delegates given no chance to
vote. There is ongoing speculation that either Lawson or the
more dynamic UFC Secretary General, Jean-Pierre Fabre
(chairman of the UFC parliamentarians) wants to take
Olympio's place. The youth revolt was an interesting
phenomenon at the congress, since the party has been and
continues to be run by the same older generation of men, the
majority of whom are from southern Togo. While some new
women and a younger person or two have now been added to the
UFC leadership, the overall image does not seem to be
terribly different


9. (C) Comment continued. The UFC President looked tired,
especially at the opening of the session, which some thought
was stress. As observers are pointing out, if elected in
2010 he will be 74 years old, not necessarily an element in
his favor. Olympio understands the hurdles he faces in
standing for the 2010 elections. While Faure said he will
make sure Olympio is allowed to stand in the elections (ref
B),this cannot be a unilateral decision. Unless
constitutional reforms are made, Olympio's candidacy is
probably illegal. Faure may not have the political capital to
push through the needed changes due to opposition from the
old guard of the RPT, and deeming unilaterally Olympio's
candidacy legal goes against Faure's efforts to improve
governance and adherence to the rule of law.


10. (C) Comment continued. Nigeria. The Nigerian visit that
occurred during our meeting was quite odd. Ambassador Baba
Zanna clearly had an agenda. While inquiring about the reform
process, he asked Olympio if there is a specific reason why
Compaore should continue to facilitate. The Nigerian asked
Olympio what he thought of former President Obasanjo, to
which the Togolese gave an ambiguous reply. Since Obasanjo
had just come to see Faure (ref C),we had to wonder whether
the Nigerians might have a Plan B afoot and excused ourselves
-- to the Nigerian's obvious relief -- so the two could
continue talking.


TWINING