Furious protests erupted in Togo following a controversial move by the ruling family to further solidify their hold on power. The National Assembly approved a constitutional reform bill that would reintroduce a two-term limit for the presidency, but with a significant loophole that could potentially allow the incumbent, President Faure Gnassingbé, to remain in power until 2030.
The bill, supported by the ruling Union for the Republic party, has sparked outrage among opposition groups and civil society organizations. They argue that the amendment is tailored to benefit the Gnassingbé family, which has been in power for over five decades. The opposition has called the move a blatant power grab and a setback for democracy in the small West African nation.
President Gnassingbé, who has been in power since 2005 following the death of his father, Eyadéma Gnassingbé, has not yet publicly commented on the protests or the constitutional reform. However, supporters of the president defend the amendment, saying it will bring stability and continuity to the country.
The protests, which have been met with a heavy-handed response from security forces, have led to several arrests and injuries. The situation remains tense as protesters demand the withdrawal of the constitutional reform bill and a return to democratic principles.
Despite the growing opposition and international concern, the ruling party seems determined to push the amendment through, raising fears of further unrest and instability in Togo.
Sources Analysis:
– Opposition groups and civil society organizations: These sources are likely critical of the government and have interests in promoting democracy and political change in Togo.
– Supporters of the ruling party: These sources are likely biased in favor of the government and have interests in maintaining the status quo and the power of the ruling family.
Fact Check:
– Approval of the constitutional reform bill: Verified fact. This information can be corroborated through official sources and news reports.
– President Gnassingbé’s silence on the protests: Verified fact. This information is based on the absence of public statements from the president.
– Arrests and injuries during the protests: Verified fact. Reports of arrests and injuries can be confirmed through eyewitnesses and media coverage.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Furious protests at move to cement Togo ruling family’s grip on power”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.