Lome - Voters go to the polls in Togo this weekend, with President Faure Gnassingbe seeking a third term of office to extend his family's grip on power into a second half-century.
The low-profile Gnassingbe, who won in 2005 and 2010, is the favorite in Saturday's election but is facing a challenge from main opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre.
Polls open at 0700 GMT for the 3.5 million registered voters, although the police and military -- 9,000 of whom will provide security on Election Day -- have already cast their ballots.
Complaints about irregularities in the electoral register, including ghost voters, forced a 10-day postponement to the election.
Concerns about possible electoral fraud persist after massive vote rigging five years ago and in 2005, which also saw up to 500 people killed in political violence.
Paul Amegakpo, head of civil society group the National Consultation of Civil Society (CNSC) said the police and military were not registered on the electoral roll.
"They could therefore turn up as civilians to vote again on the 25th," he told AFP.
Amegakpo also expressed fears about the safety of the ballot boxes used on Wednesday, as they would not be delivered to the electoral commission until Saturday.
AFP
