The report on national consultations was Thursday submitted to Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, the country's representative at the Unit e d Nations High Commission for Human Rights, Musa Gassama, whose organisation spe a rheaded the enquiries, announced.
The consultations, officially launched 15 April by the head of state, were aimed at "giving opportunity to the Togolese to express themselves on truth, justice and reconciliation mechanisms."Between May and July, a technical team backed by the representation in Togo of t he United Nations High Commission for Human Rights went around the country to co l lect the opinions and recommendations of the people for "a national consensus, b a sed on the truth, justice and reconciliation mechanisms."
Addressing the press, Mr. Gassama highlighted that enquiries were conducted befo re a sample of 30,500 people distributed across the entire national territory.
He said out of the 30,000 questionaires distributed, 22,910 answers were collect ed, or a rate of 76,37 per cent.
These questionaires were filled by 16,045 men and 6,865 women, including 2,174 y ouths aged below 20, Gassama added.
The 28-page report formulates eight recommendations to the government and to act ors of political life.
Among the recommandations was the need for the government to take into account t he quantitative elements of the consultations in the elaboration of any mechanis m aimed at fighting against impunity, the taking of appropriate measures to guara n tee the safety of witnesses, victims and presumed perpetrators and the involveme n t of the civil society in the quest for solutions to questions related to the fi g ht against impunity.
The report urged political parties to "display responsibility and educate their supporters on the main democratic principles and citizen-focused values" and pro p osed the setting up of a single truth and reconciliation commission with two sub - commissions to "avoid waste of financial resources."
The consultations came in the wake of the political violence that interspersed t he 2005 presidential election which resulted in the death of about 500 people an d the wounding of thousands of others, according to a UN report.