[7] On March 24, 2002, Péré, who was a member of the Political Bureau of the RPT, sent a letter to President Gnassingbé Eyadéma and the members of the RPT Central Committee in which he called for reforms in the party, saying that it was failing to achieve national reconciliation and economic development and that it was internally intolerant of criticism.
[7][9] Prior to his call for reform, Péré had been elected by the National Assembly as a member of the regional ECOWAS Parliament.
[10] At the ECOWAS Parliament, he was Chairman of the Committee on Law Regulations, Legal and Judicial Affairs, Human Rights and Free Movement of Persons.
[12] However, the ECOWAS Parliament objected to the National Assembly's move, saying that there was no valid basis for Péré's unilateral replacement.
[14] Péré announced on April 29, 2003 that he would run in the presidential election on June 1, 2003, as the candidate of the Socialist Pact for Renewal (PSR).