After his sudden death in February 2005, his son Faure Gnassingbé was first put in power by the army, before going on to win quickly-held elections.

Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé has called the poll a “test of legitimacy” for him and the other candidates in a recent AFP interview.

He said that he hoped the upcoming ballot would end political violence and disputes, this comes after last 2005 presidential elections, which brought Gnassingbé to power, were decried by the opposition and international observers, with some 500 Togolese killed in electoral violence.

The country had been deeply divided by the reign of Eyadema. His son sought to make changes in government, including replacing old loyalists with a new guard.

Gnassingbé also nominated a leading opposition figure, Yawovi Agboyibo, to the head of a unity government. Today, Agboyibo is among his election opponents.

“It is true that efforts have been made,” said Albert Bourgi, Africa specialist and law professor at the University of Reims.

“But the particularly turbulent political history of Togo has shown several times that the presidential elections did not unfold in the best of conditions. Gestures of overture would not remove the suspicions which already hang over this election," he said.

“It's a safe bet that the culture of fraud will ultimately prevail”.

However , opposition has frequently denounced irregularities in the electoral process.

Jean-Pierre Fabre from the Union of Forces for Change (UFC) has accused the country’s National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) of having "inflated" electoral lists from Gnassingbé strongholds in the north.

Gnassingbe’s detractors also accuse him of having two of his most serious adversaries removed from the race. Gilchrist Olympio (the son of independent Togo’s first leader) and Kofi Yamgnane, a former secretary of state, were forced to step down due to apparent electoral regulatory violations.

Other candidates - Yawovi Agboyibo and Brigitte Kafui Adjamagbo-Johnson - have also raised doubts on whether they intend to participate in the elections.

There have also been demands for changes in the voting system, from one-round system to two-rounds. But Gnassingbé pushed the possible adoption of a two-round system to after the elections – thus favouring his own candidacy, according to Bourgi.

The Campaigns ended on Tuesday with the main opposition party - the UFC - holding a major rally in Lomé.

Poltical history
Togo, a narrow strip of land on Africa's west coast, has for years been the target of criticism over its human rights record and political governance.

Tensions spilled over into deadly violence when its strong-arm, veteran leader died in 2005 and a succession crisis followed. Political reconciliation remains elusive.

Togo formed part of the Slave Coast, from where captives were shipped abroad by European slavers during the 17th century. In 1884 it became the German protectorate of Togoland.

It was seized by Britain and France at the start of World War I, divided and administered under League of Nations mandates.

The British-ruled western part was later incorporated into what is now Ghana.
France granted independence in 1960 and Togo's first president, Sylvanus Olympio, was assassinated in a military coup three years later. Head of the armed forces Gnassingbe Eyadema seized power in a 1967 coup and dissolved all political parties.

Although political parties were legalised in 1991 and a democratic constitution was adopted in 1992, the leadership was accused of suppressing opposition and of cheating in elections.

A joint UN-Organisation of African Unity investigation into claims that hundreds of people were killed after controversial elections in 1998 concluded that there had been systematic human rights violations.

Gnassingbe Eyadema died in early 2005 after 38 years in power. The military's immediate but short-lived installation of his son, Faure Gnassingbe, as president provoked widespread international condemnation. Mr Faure stood down and called elections which he won two months later. The opposition said the vote was rigged.

The developments of 2005 led to renewed questions about a commitment to democracy made by Togo in 2004 in a bid to normalise ties with the EU, which cut off aid in 1993 over the country's human rights record.

Moreover, up to 500 people were killed in the political violence surrounding the presidential poll, according to the UN. Around 40,000 Togolese fled to neighbouring countries.