People in Togo voted on Thursday in a long-delayed parliamentary election, which could give an indication of what may happen in the presidential polls due next year, dpa reported. This was the opposition's first real chance in decades to erode the influence of the Gnassingbe family, which has ruled the small West African nation for well over 40 years. The atmosphere was reported to be tense but relatively calm, as voters headed to the polls. Hundreds of foreign observers are in Togo for the election, and there's a heavy police presence. The national electoral commission promised first results in the early evening. More than 1,100 candidates from 26 political parties competed for 91 seats in parliament. The election was originally scheduled for October, but was postponed twice. On Tuesday, opposition parties accused the head of the electoral commission of siding with the ruling party. President Faure Gnassingbe's Union for the Republic party currently holds the majority in parliament, and the opposition has been demanding constitutional reforms.
