LOME, April 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Togolese voters began to cast their ballots on Sunday morning to select a new leader succeeding late president Eyadema Gnassingbe, whose sudden death brought political turmoil to this small west African nation.

    The voting started at 6 :30 a.m. (0630 GMT). Around 2.2 million eligible voters, or fewer than half of the country's population, have registered for the one-day election. There are altogether 5,113 polling stations across the country.

    The presidential race will be mainly between the opposition candidate Emmanuel Bob Akitani and Faure Gnassingbe, son of Eyadema whom the military violated the constitution to install as Togo's leader within hours of his father's death.

    Faure was later forced to step down under pressure at home and abroad, but he still represents the ruling Togolese People's Rally party to compete against Akitani, 74, the sole candidate picked by the six biggest opposition parties, for the country's top seat.

    Togo lies in west Africa, forming a narrow strip stretching north from a coastline on the Gulf of Guinea. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east, Burkina Faso to the north.

    The Togolese government on Friday ordered to intermittently close all land borders to discourage election tampering, but airports remain open. Enditem