News: Togo opposition slams president over refusal to reform

Gnassingbe said on Tuesday that he will not bow to demands to restrict the number of presidential mandates to two five-year terms.

Currently, there is no limit on how many terms a president can serve and lawmakers have previously voted against a bill for constitutional reform.

Observers have been watching events in Togo closely, after a popular protest over the constitution brought down the president in the country's neighbour to the north, Burkina Faso, last month.

Jean-Pierre Fabre, head of Togo's National Alliance for Change (ANC), told AFP: "Faure Gnassingbe has finally revealed his intentions and we're very happy.

"He's playing hide and seek. He's shown his true colours. He's playing for time to stay in power. We are going to force him to make reforms."

Fabre, who will be the opposition alliance's candidate at next year's vote, said Gnassingbe should follow through on a pledge he made in August 2006 to implement change.

"He has to honour his commitment. We are going to use all legal means at our disposal to compel him to bring about the reforms before the presidential election," he added.

"We are going to keep up the pressure on the regime."

No date has yet been set for the vote and Gnassingbe, who said that "the constitution in force will be completely respected", has yet to declare his candidacy.

He said on an official visit to Ghana on Tuesday that any announcement on him running would be made to the Togo people first if his party puts its faith in him.

Should he run and win, a Gnassingbe would have been in power in Togo for nearly 50 years.

His father, General Gnassingbe Eyadema, governed Togo for 38 years and his son took over in 2005 and won elections later that year and again in 2010.

Earlier, ANC spokesman Eric Dupuy said there would be more protests and they would appeal to "the entire population of Togo to mobilise".

Police in the capital, Lome, last week fired teargas at protesters marching for political reform after they defied government orders not to approach the national assembly.

The next demonstration has been called for this Friday, when members of 16 human rights organisations will take to the streets.