Togo’s Parliament, elected Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové as the new President of the Republic over the weekend, under the country’s recently adopted parliamentary system.
Receiving all 150 votes, the former minister was immediately sworn in before both chambers.
At 85, Savi de Tové is a veteran figure in Togolese politics, having served as Minister of Commerce, Industry and Crafts from 2005 to 2007, and earlier as Secretary General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the 1960s.
His candidacy was put forward by the ruling party, Union for the Republic (UNIR), shortly after Faure Gnassingbé was appointed President of the Council—a role that now holds most executive powers under the new Constitution.
The President of the Republic now serves a largely symbolic role with a four-year term renewable once, representing national unity and the country abroad.
This election regional government expert say, signals a significant shift in Togo’s political structure, cementing the country’s transition to a parliamentary system.
