[allAfrica.com] [Africare] Towards the Lifting of EU Sanctions: Secret Behind Eyadema's Latest Peace Moves Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra) NEWS May 20, 2004 Posted to the web May 20, 2004 By Ebow Godwin Lomé Barely a month after President Gnassingbe Eyadema caught his critics flat footed by proposing before the EU, 22 wide ranging democratic reforms, political bird watchers here are still reeling from the initial daze at the Togolese leader's swift willingness and courage to fly the kite of dialogue with the Togolese opposition parties once again. The latest, swift, surprising peace initiative responds positively to previous agitations by the radical opposition for more transparency, good governance, and democratic rule of law in Togo, observers say. "But Eyadema took the wind out of their sails just as they were preparing to cock their guns to do battle with him on the battlefield of the EU in Brussels", say observers here. "In the end, the opposition kept their smoking guns away in their upholsters." Nevertheless, observers have factored that the Togolese Head of State could not be so generous as to lavish so much political charity on the waiting laps of the Togo opposition without any tangible reason. They say he was merely responding to intense external pressures caused by the excruciating effects of the biting economic sanctions imposed by the EU eleven years ago. The Gordian knot which the sanctions have tied around Togo's economic jugular has inflicted severe strains in all sectors of the country's tottering economy. The deleterious effects have in turn brought Togo's anaemic economy virtually on a down spin and its bended knees. Consequently, Eyadema has managed to keep Togo from total financial chaos by prudently balancing the fragile national budget on a shoestring. The resulting spin-offs have created heavy deficits which need rapid injection of EU external economic aid as provided for by the previous Lomé, but now Cotonou ACP-EU Convention. Shrewed Togolese economic managers have been putting on a brave face for some time now. But mounting workers' salary arrears, unpaid pension benefits, difficulties in payments of student bursaries and allowances, including serious shortage of drugs in hospitals, have forced the hand of President Eyadema to make amends. Already, Togo has lost several tranches of Stabex subsidies and if a swift decision is not taken to persuade the EU to lift the sanctions, Togo is likely to lose the opportunity to benefit from the 2005 share of accumulated EU recurrent aids. Statisticians estimate that Togo has already lost over 800 billion CFA Francs in terms of EU economic aid due to the sanctions. Critics say political considerations may also have influenced President Eyadema to promise more openness in the administration of the country. According to observers, the democratic stand-off in Togo has deteriorated into a state of permanent cliff-hangar, that only a renewed policy of rapprochement with the opposition can help repair the damage. President Eyadema, they say, will not like to go down in history as a leader who left behind him the legacy of a country divided against itself, in economic tatters, chaos and fratricidal civil wars after 37 years in his blissful but sometimes torrential hold on political power. It is therefore reasoned that no sacrifice will be too great on the part of the Togolese leader in bringing the country together once again even if it means eating the humble pie, so to speak. Significantly, the traditional opposition parties have hailed the latest call for dialogue by President Eyadema, saying that at long last, he has recognised the legitimacy of their concerns. Others more cynical however view the reforms with mixed reactions, accusing the Togolese leader of behaving like the sly fox. In all, there are proposals for 22 wide ranging political reforms to ensure greater openness, good governance and transparency in the promotion of participative constitutional democratic government. In particular, President Eyadema has promised three key reforms - the re- opening of Internal Dialogue with the opposition in order to achieve meaningful national reconciliation, including a review of the contentious portions of the electoral code which was "mutilated" in 2002 by Togo's parliament. President Eyadema has promised to level the electoral playing field and the release of all political prisoners within six weeks. Will Eyadema carry out the promises? Enveloped by deep suspicions and mutual mistrust, Togolese politicians hardly trust one another. But P.M. Koffi Sama has, so far, dispelled any lingering doubts by plunging into serious business. Immediately after he returned from the on-going consultations with the EU in Brussels, the P.M. instructed his sector ministers to begin the implementation of some of the reforms in accordance with the agreement reached with the EU in April this year. Definite and concrete steps aimed at "de penalising" the press code, considered to be draconian by critics in media circles here, have been taken by the Minister for Communications, Pitang Tchalla. Already, an 11-member Review Committee to collate views and proposals for the revision of the media code has been set up. So far, the Togolese Head of State appears determined to show his sincerity to the EU and the opposition but the release of political prisoners has run into stumbling blocks over disagreements on an acceptable definition as to who qualifies to be a political prisoner. A ministerial delegation led by Justice Minister, Foli Bari-Katare says they could not find any political prisoners in any of the local prisons during their fact-finding mission. "We do not have any prisoners of conscience, or illegally detained political prisoners in Togo," the Minister said. But opposition groups have challenged the declaration by the Justice Minister, claiming many of their militants had been detained since last year's Presidential elections in Togo. As a way out of the confusion, the government has involved all local NGOs and Human Rights organisations in the nationwide exercise to adopt a clear-cut definition as to who qualifies to be categorised as political prisoner in Togo. They have therefore been invited to tour all the prisons. President Eyadema has already set the pace for national reconciliation by granting Presidential pardon to six political arsonists who led rioting groups believed to be militants of the UFC party to cause massive destruction of property on September 2003 in the Mango District in the upper north of Togo in protest over moves by the government to rehabilitate the Mango Game Forest Reserve Park. The protesters said they wanted more land for farming. The group, led by Natachaba Nassoro, former local Chairman of the opposition UFC party including two women, was consequently set free in April this year.   =============================================================================   Copyright © 2004 Ghanaian Chronicle. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). =============================================================================