Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe has given the strongest indication yet that he plans to run for a third term in office despite popular opposition to the move.
"All I have to tell you is that the constitution that is being practiced now will be fully complied with," Gnassingbe said at a joint press conference in Accra with Ghanaian President and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Chairman John Dramani Mahama.
Gnassingbe is currently on a three-day visit to Ghana for talks aimed at strengthening bilateral and trade relations.
His visit comes in the wake of violent protests in Accra against his plan to run for a third five-year term as president.
In 1992, the Togolese public approved a constitution – with 90 percent of the vote – that limited presidents to two five-year electoral terms.
But in 2002, the RPT, the country's then-ruling party, reversed the decision, allowing presidents to remain in office for an unlimited number of terms.
Gnassingbe, for his part, has called for the constitution to be allowed to operate.
"The opposition, which is also a political party, has an opinion on any topic. But I think we all have to work towards ensuring that we have stability and respect for constitutional provisions," he said.
Gnassingbe described the presence of opposition leader Gilchrist Olympio on his team as "a symbol of reconciliation."
"The current state of affairs has enabled us to improve our relationship with Ghana, because we have the same principles and respect for the principles of democracy and respect for fundamental freedom," he said.
"We will be able to organize elections and have leaders who will have the necessary legitimacy to promote this reconciliation," asserted the Togolese president.
Olympio, for his part, says he is uncertain about his ability to run for president in 2015.
"I won't say I have no ambitions, but I am not a young man," he told the news conference in Accra.
Nevertheless, he said, his party planned to participate fully in the upcoming polls.
Ghana's Mahama, meanwhile, said that he agreed with his Togolese counterpart on the Sogakope Water project, which aims to source potable water from Ghana's Volta River into Togo.
"We have had bilateral discussions where authorities of the Togo water supply system have met the Ghana water company and together, with some international partners, have developed the design and feasibility [studies] for that project," he said.
"What we need to do now is convert it from a feasibility [study] to a reality," Mahama added.
He said the planned water project would serve 30 Ghanaian communities located between the project site in Sogakope in Ghana and Lome in Togo.
On energy, the Ghanaian president said: "There is a multi-purpose dam we have been considering in the northern part of the country."
"We are looking at how we can develop it jointly," he added, "so that we can supply some of the power through northern Togo."
The two presidents will commission a railway project on Wednesday, which will run between the two countries.
The project will help transport cement produced in that part of Ghana to Lome, Accra and other markets.
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