At least seven people have died and as many as 150 injured in violent clashes in Togo between supporters of the ruling party and the opposition a week before the country is to go to the polls, the French broadcaster RFI reported Sunday. The opposition has accused the governing Union of the Togolese People (RPT) of manipulating voter lists and called for a postponement of the vote planned for next Sunday. There have however been no calls so far for a boycott of the election. President Gnassingbe Eyadema, who had been in power for nearly 40 years, died in March. His son Faure Gnassingbe had attempted to take power illegally afterwards and has entered the race for the RPT. Bob Akitani, 74 years old, is running for the opposition. Opposition leader Gilchrist Olympio, the son of the first president, has been excluded from running as he has lived in exile for past years. The European Union has refrained from sending election observers, saying the time allotted for preparations was unacceptably short.
