Close Elections and Political Succession in the African Union

Close Elections and Political Succession in the African Union
Author: Carl W. Dundas
Publisher: Author House
Total Pages: 349
Release: 2012-03-16
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1467889717

This book is about the problems encountered frequently in the Member States of the African Union with the impact of close elections on political succession at the political party leadership level and at the level of head of state and government. Evidence can be seen with respect to the national elections and their aftermath in 2007 & 08 and in Zimbabwe elections of 2008.The book analyses the reasons why close elections have had negative impact on some States of the Union and not others. A contrast in this regard was made in the book between close elections in Ghana (2008-09) and Zambia (2008) where close elections did not trigger violence with Kenya (2007) which experienced serious post-election violence and Zimbabwe (2008) which witnessed widespread pre-polling intimidation and violence. The book also looks at the incidence of unconstitutional change of government and its impact on political succession. It also considers the impact of close elections on illegal political succession and on failed States in the African Union.

Elections, Violence and Transitional Justice in Africa

Elections, Violence and Transitional Justice in Africa
Author: Elias O. Opongo
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 229
Release: 2022-05-29
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1000593053

Elections in Africa are competitive in nature and can be manipulated by incumbents to extend and entrench their rule through changes to constitutions, intimidation of opponents, excess use of police force and, in some cases, assassinations of dissident voices. Ethnic cleavages are also exploited by contestants to incite and mobilize unsuspecting masses to pursue their electoral ambitions which can lead to political instability. In many African countries, violence before, during and after elections has become a regrettable norm rather than the exception. The function of transitional justice is to address the legacy of human rights atrocities, political violence and societal harm resulting from prior misrule or violent conflicts, with a view to establishing fair, democratic and inclusive societies. This book interrogates the potential intersection between transitional justice and electoral processes. Specifically, it examines the hypothesis that transitional justice interventions that strive to address historical injustices perpetrated by violence, conflict and entrenched by socio-political impunity, can initiate preventive measures against electoral violence through redress, accountability and institutional reforms. The contributors to this volume have engaged with country case studies from across Africa, while examining the intersection between transitional justice and electoral processes. Hence, this is a timely volume that highlights the uninterrogated nexus between elections, violence and transitional justice in Africa.

Governance, Human Rights, and Political Transformation in Africa

Governance, Human Rights, and Political Transformation in Africa
Author: Michael Addaney
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 433
Release: 2019-11-19
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3030270491

This edited volume examines the development and challenges of governance, democracy, and human rights in Africa. It analyzes the emerging challenges for strengthening good governance in the region and explores issues related to civil, political, economic, cultural, and social rights highlighting group rights including women, girls, and other minority groups. The project presents a useful study of the democratization processes and normative developments in Africa exploring challenges in the form of corruption, conflict, political violence, and their subsequent impact on populations. The contributors appraise the implementation gap between law and practice and the need for institutional reform to build strong and robust mechanisms at the domestic, regional, and international levels.

The Socio-Cultural, Ethnic and Historic Foundations of Kenya’s Electoral Violence

The Socio-Cultural, Ethnic and Historic Foundations of Kenya’s Electoral Violence
Author: Stephen M. Magu
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 262
Release: 2018-02-02
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1351142429

Kenya’s 2007 General Election results announcement precipitated the worst ethnic conflict in the country’s history; 1,133 people were killed, while 600,000 were internally displaced. Within 2 months, the incumbent and the challenger had agreed to a power-sharing agreement and a Government of National Unity. This book investigates the role of socio-cultural origins of ethnic conflict during electoral periods in Kenya beginning with the multi-party era of democratization and the first multi-party elections of 1992, illustrating how ethnic groups construct their interests and cooperate (or fail to) based on shared traits. The author demonstrates that socio-cultural traditions have led to the collaboration (and frequent conflict) between the Kikuyu and Kalenjin that has dominated power and politics in independent Kenya. The author goes onto evaluate the possibility of peace for future elections. This book will be of interest to scholars of African democracy, Kenyan history and politics, and ethnic conflict.

Electoral Management Design

Electoral Management Design
Author: International IDEA
Publisher: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA)
Total Pages: 480
Release: 2014-12-20
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9187729660

This Handbook was developed for electoral administrators and those involved in reforming EMBs. It provides comparative experience of and best practices on EMB structures and funding models, as well as means for evaluating performance. A range of case studies illustrate examples from specific contexts in Afghanistan, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Haiti, India, Kenya, the Republic of Korea, Liberia, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Senegal, Republic of Seychelles, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tunisia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States. This new and revised edition of the 2006 International IDEA Handbook includes updated country-level data and case studies and significantly expanded sections on the role of gender, professional development and technology in elections.

Electoral Essays and Discourses

Electoral Essays and Discourses
Author: Carl W. Dundas
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Total Pages: 535
Release: 2014-03-05
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1491896590

This book contains five electoral essays and five discourses which explore issues impacting on free, fair and credible election organisation and conduct, with special attention on best practices in the Commonwealth and the African Union. The essays constitute part 1 and the discourses part 2 of the book. It describes and analyses the slow and cautious restart of the process of democratic elections in Nigeria, examining the missteps along the way from the first to the fourth electoral cycle which ended in 2011, which constitute essay I. Essay II deals with the development of election observation, together with mechanisms to strengthen the effectiveness thereof in the African Union and promote the technical capabilities of African Union electoral management bodies. Essay III seeks to compare aspects of election observation by the Commonwealth and the African Union. Essay IV examines best electoral practices in the Commonwealth and the African Union and essay V with the potential use of alternative dispute resolution in elections in the Commonwealth and the African Union. The discourses vigorously explore current electoral issues that slant towards further development in the near future. Discourse A is about youth and elections. It discusses how youth can participate more effectively in elections. Discourse B looks at the dimensions of political finance with particular attention to campaign financing. Discourse C is about incumbency and elections and discusses the nature and impact of incumbency on elections. Discourse D is about the culture of impunity which affects many electoral management bodies and in particular as it pertains to election violence. Discourse E deals with the impact of social media on election preparation and conduct.

Political Leadership

Political Leadership
Author: Matthew Laing
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 493
Release: 2020-11-27
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1350311421

Drawing upon a diverse range of traditions and contexts, this authoritative new textbook presents a systematic introduction to political leadership. Making extensive use of examples of real leaders from a variety of cultural backgrounds, the book links theoretical ideas and concepts to real-world political leadership and in doing so helps students to make sense of why different leaders lead as they do and why people choose to follow them. This is ideal reading for students taking courses on political leadership and related topics.

The Lag of 21St Century Democratic Elections: in the African Union Member States

The Lag of 21St Century Democratic Elections: in the African Union Member States
Author: Carl W. Dundas
Publisher: Author House
Total Pages: 485
Release: 2011-11-08
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1456797077

This book explores the reasons for the uneven development of democratic elections in the Member States of the African Union. It notes the slow pace of some Member States of the Union to get on top of delivering credible elections and analyze the attempts which are being made in the 21st Century to remedy the situation.