Kwassi Klutse

Kwassi Klutse (born July 29, 1945 [http://web.archive.org/web/20040419222219/www.afrique-express.com/archive/OUEST/togo/togobios/kwassiklutse.htm Page on Klutse] at "Afrique Express" fr icon.] ) was the Prime Minister of Togo from August 20, 1996 to May 21, 1999.

Klutse was born in Agbélouvé, Zio Prefecture. He was appointed to the government of Prime Minister Edem Kodjo as Minister of Planning and Territorial Development in November 1995. Subsequently, in by-elections that were held in constituencies where the results of the 1994 parliamentary election had been annulled, the Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) of President Gnassingbé Eyadéma won all three constituencies at stake, giving it and its allies a parliamentary majority and enabling it to form a new government without relying on Kodjo's Togolese Union for Democracy (UTD) party. Klutse was then appointed as Prime Minister by Eyadéma on August 20 1996. ["Aug 1996 - Resignation of Kodjo - New government", Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume 42, August, 1996 Togo, Page 41217.] "Africa South of the Sahara 2004" (2003), Routledge, page 1,145.]

Previously not a member of a political party, in 1997 Klutse joined the RPT and became a member of its Political Bureau. On August 19 1998, Eyadéma accepted the resignation of Klutse and his government, but he reappointed Klutse on August 20 to head a new government, ["Aug 1998 - Resignation of government - Re-appointment of Prime Minister", Keesing's Record of World Events, Volume 44, August, 1998 Togo, Page 42431.] which was named on September 1. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20051231131232/www.afrique-express.com/archive/OUEST/togo/togogvts/togogovt010998.htm "Le gouvernement du Togo, formé le 1er septembre1998"] , "Afrique Express" fr icon.] "Togo: New government appointed, opposition absent", AFP (nl.newsbank.com), September 2, 1998.] The opposition largely refused to participate in this government, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/162945.stm "New government for Togo"] , BBC News, September 2, 1998.] and Klutse, speaking on television, "deplore [d] that the sincere and brotherly hand extended by the president was not accepted by the leaders of the opposition".

Following the March 1999 parliamentary election, Klutse and his government resigned on April 17 1999; Eyadéma accepted the resignation, and Klutse's government remained temporarily in office in a caretaker capacity. ["Togo: President accepts resignation of prime minister and government", AFP (nl.newsbank.com), April 18, 1999.] Eyadéma appointed Eugène Koffi Adoboli as his successor on May 21 1999.

Klutse was elected to the National Assembly in the October 2002 parliamentary election from the First Constituency of Zio Prefecture. [ [http://www.assemblee-nationale.tg/charpente/deputes/par-regions.htm List of deputies by region] (lists deputies from the 2002-2007 parliamentary term) fr icon.]

In the October 2007 parliamentary election, Klutse was the second candidate on the RPT's candidate list in Zio Prefecture, [http://www.cenitogo.tg/listecandidats/ZIO.pdf List of candidates in Zio] , CENI website fr icon.] but failed to win a seat; [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/togo/article_jeune_afrique.asp?art_cle=LIN22107paysaelarot0 "Paysage après la bataille (électorale)"] , Jeuneafrique.com, October 22, 2007 fr icon.] all three seats in Zio were won by the opposition Union of the Forces of Change (UFC). [ [http://www.cenitogo.tg/resultats/Resultats_definitifs_des_elections_legislatives_du_14_octobre_2007_%20proclames_par_la_Cour_Constitutionnelle.do.pdf Text of Constitutional Court decision (final election results)] , October 30, 2007 fr icon.]

Klutse remains a member of the Political Bureau of the RPT [ [http://www.rpt.tg/Default.aspx?tabid=595 List of members of the RPT Political Bureau] , RPT website fr icon.] and was again chosen as a member of the RPT Central Committee from Zio Prefecture at the party's 9th Congress in December 2006. [ [http://www.rpt.tg/Default.aspx?tabid=596 Members of the RPT Central Committee] , RPT website fr icon.]

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