President Kufuor leaves for Abuja

Accra, May 19, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Thursday left for Abuja, Nigeria, to join other African leaders for consultation on how to resolve the political crisis in Togo.

Other African leaders expected to attend the meeting include Presidents of Benin, Gabon and Niger, who is the current chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Also expected are the feuding government and opposition parties.

The Nigerian leader and Chairman of African Union (AU), President Olusegun Obasanjo is convening the meeting to work out a plan for the formation of a government of national unity following last month's controversial election in which Faure Gnassingbe, candidate of the ruling RPT, was declared winner with 60 per cent of the votes. The opposition disputed the results and the main opposition candidate Emmanuel Bob Akitani declared himself president.

The election has been received with mixed approval from members of the international community with ECOWAS and AU approving it while the EU and US have given it a thumbs-down.