DECLARATION
BY THE ACP COMMITTEE OF AMBASSADORS
ON THE EVOLVING SITUATION IN
Having regard to the Declaration on
the Situation in
Takes note of the resignation of Mr. Faure Gnassingbe, which paves the way for the return to constitutional order in accordance with the 1992 Constitution, as amended in December 2002 and of the designation, as a consequence, of the 1st Vice-President of the National Assembly Mr. Abass Bonfoh as interim President of the Republic ;
Having been informed of the electoral calendar that has been issued for presidential elections scheduled to take place on 24 April 2005;
Supports and encourages the continued efforts and initiatives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU) and the international community to facilitate and support the transitional process, which will contribute to the stabilization of the political and social situation in Togo;
Stresses the need for political dialogue among all political actors in Togo, and calls upon political actors to respect democratic principles, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms - the principal aspects of the Intra-ACP dialogue;
Urges all Togolese political actors and institutions to contribute positively to the transitional and democratic processes and, in particular, to the holding of free, fair and inclusive elections within the timeframe specified by the 1992 Constitution amended in December 2002;
Calls upon the ACP Group, with assistance from the countries of the West African Region, to continue to utilise all the provisions of intra-ACP political dialogue with a view to ensuring a successful transition and facilitating the holding of free, fair and inclusive elections in Togo;
Also calls on the European Union and its Member States to continue to work closely with the ACP Group, within the spirit and framework of the Cotonou Agreement, to support the organization of free, fair and inclusive elections in Togo; and
Decides, in the framework of intra-ACP political dialogue and in accordance with a request from the competent Togolese Authorities, to send a delegation comprising ACP Ambassadors and the ACP Secretariat to participate in observing the elections scheduled for 24 April 2005.
Done in Brussels on 7 April 2005