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U.S. Department of State Office of the Spokesman Press Statement

Press Statement by James B. Foley, Deputy Spokesman
March 22, 1999

Legislative Election in Togo

The Government of the United States considers that, absent the participation of opposition candidates, the March 21 legislative election in Togo does not reflect the will of the Togolese people and will further delay a political resolution of Togo's difficult political and economic problems. We regret that national reconciliation talks were not fully undertaken before the election. Whatever the constitutional justification, the essentially one-party election frustrates the hope for a more inclusive process that could have led to the election of a truly representative legislature. We hope that leaders of Togo's Government and opposition, motivated by a spirit of compromise, will redouble their efforts to resolve peacefully their differences which have severely hampered Togo's development in recent years.

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