ANCE-TOGO: Parliamentary Republic can strengthen governance, transparency and the fight against corruption
On Friday, April 19, 2024, Togo's National Assembly adopted the proposed constitutional amendment to change the country's system of government from a semi-presidential regime to a Parliamentary Republic.
Under the terms of the new Constitution, the national executive will henceforth be embodied by a President of the Council of Ministers, head of government appointed by Parliament and accountable to it. The executive will be shared with a President of the Republic, chosen by the legitimate representatives of the people, the deputies and senators meeting in Congress.
ANCE-TOGO, the national Chapter of Transparency International in Togo and Coordinator of the West Africa Hub, believes that the new Constitution will strengthen citizen oversight of government activities and make the President of the Council of Ministers, the head of government, more accountable to those who elected him, and in turn, to the people. The previous presidential regime had shown its limits. Former Prime Ministers seemed to be more accountable to the President of the Republic than to Parliament, and therefore did not feel obliged to answer the summonses of the people's elected representatives. In the same vein, some ministers dared to ignore MPs' summonses, but such deviations will be a thing of the past under the parliamentary system.
Dr Fabrice Kodjo Ebeh, PhD, International Anti-Corruption Expert and Coordinator of Transparency International's West Africa Hub, believes that with this new regime, the people and their representatives in the National Assembly will hold executive leaders to be more accountable. In addition, the new Constitution has strengthened anti-corruption measures with the creation of a High Authority for the Transparency of Public Affairs, which has the power to investigate any act of corruption on its own initiative, and to impose sanctions to offenders.
ANCE-TOGO will remain vigilant to ensure that this new fundamental Law is respected, and that it is applied transparently, fairly and impersonally, so that it effectively serves the interests of citizens.