Lome 20 Sep (ANA) - A new round of demonstrations is expected across Togo as the country grapples with an unprecedented political crisis, brought about by calls for the introduction of presidential term limits. Faure Gnassingbé has been head of state since 2005 when he took over from his father Gnassingbé Eyadema, who seized power in a coup in 1967, seven years after independence. The anti-government protests began in August and have spread to the whole country. Demonstrations have largely been peaceful and their scale has been huge, with organisers claiming that as many as 800,000 people - out of a total population of 6.6 million - took to the streets on 19 August.

On Sunday, the country's bishops threw their weight behind the opposition. On Tuesday, MPs voted in favour of a proposed change to the constitution to introduce a two-term limit ahead of the next presidential election in 2020. The change will require a referendum before it comes into effect.(ANA)

FA/ANA/20 September 2017-------