Democracy, elections, and constitutionalism in Africa / edited by Charles M Fombad and Nico Steytler.

Contributor(s):

Material type: Text

text

Media type:

unmediated

Carrier type:

volume

ISBN:

9780192894779

Subject(s):

LOC classification:

KQC524 DEM

Contents:

Introduction: Democracy, elections, and constitutionalism in Africa / Nico Steytler and Charles M. Fombad -- Democracy, elections, and constitutionalism in Africa : setting the scene / Charles M. Fombad -- How could we design democracy to make it work in the African context? / Nic Cheeseman -- The African Union and the advancement of democracy : the problem of unconstitutional retention of governmental power / Adem K. Abebe and Charles M. Fombad -- Local multiparty democracy in Africa / Nico Steytler -- Multiparty democracy in Zimbabwe after the adoption of the 2013 constitution / Tinashe Carlton Chigwata -- Competitive authoritarianism in a constitutional democracy : the case of SWAPO in Namibia / Henning Melber -- Constitutionalism and electoral authoritarianism in Ethiopia : from EPRDF to EPP / Zemelak Ayitenew Ayele -- Constitutionalism and developmental authoritarianism : power, law, and legitimacy in post-genocide Rwanda / Teresa Nogueira Pinto -- Egypt's plasticine constitution : autocratic democracy and the 2018 presidential elections / Sherif Elgebeily -- Internal party democracy in Tanzania : a reflection on three decades of multiparty politics / Edwin Babeiya -- Party-political financing, democracy, and constitutionalism in Ethiopia / Zelalem Degifie -- Nigeria in search of a credible electoral administration : recent reforms and persistent challenges / Rotimi T. Suberu -- Adjudication of disputed presidential elections in Africa / O'Brien Kaaba and Charles M. Fombad -- Women's participation in elections and legislatures in Kenya under the 2010 constitution / Jill Cotrell Ghai -- How Zimbabwe's 2013 constitution addresses women's election and participation in parliament / Makanatsa Makonese -- Reversing the surging tide toward authoritarian democracy in Africa / Charles M. Fombad.

Summary: The third wave of democracy that reached African shores at the end of the Cold War brought with it a dramatic decline from 1990 onwards in dictatorships, military regimes, one-party governments, and presidents for life. Multiparty democracy was at the core of the constitutional revolutions that swept through most of Africa in those watershed years. However, that wave is either losing momentum or receding - or being reversed in its entirety. This volume examines democracy and elections in Africa, a focus motivated by two concerns. First, after 30 years it is important to take stock of the state of constitutional democracy on the continent. The democratic gains of the 1990s and 2000s seem to be falling by the wayside, with the evidence mounting that regimes are concealing authoritarianism under the veneer of elections, doing so in an international context where populist regimes are on the rise and free and fair multiparty elections are consequently no longer a given. It is becoming a battle to protect and retain constitutional democracy. The second reason for this volume's focus on democracy and elections is that multiparty democracy is essential for the proper functioning of the state in addressing the major problems facing Africa - internal conflict, inequality and lack of development, and poor governance and corruption. The focus of this volume is thus on how competitive politics or multiparty democracy can be realized and how, through competition, such politics could lead to better policy and practice outcomes.

Reviews from LibraryThing.com:

Tags from this library: No tags from this library for this title. Log in to add tags.

Average rating: 0.0 (0 votes)

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Call number	Copy number	Status	Date due	Barcode
Book	Main Library Open Shelf	KQC521 DEM (Browse shelf(Opens below))	155628	Available		BK143105

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Democracy, elections, and constitutionalism in Africa / Nico Steytler and Charles M. Fombad --
Democracy, elections, and constitutionalism in Africa : setting the scene / Charles M. Fombad --
How could we design democracy to make it work in the African context? / Nic Cheeseman --
The African Union and the advancement of democracy : the problem of unconstitutional retention of governmental power / Adem K. Abebe and Charles M. Fombad --
Local multiparty democracy in Africa / Nico Steytler --
Multiparty democracy in Zimbabwe after the adoption of the 2013 constitution / Tinashe Carlton Chigwata --
Competitive authoritarianism in a constitutional democracy : the case of SWAPO in Namibia / Henning Melber --
Constitutionalism and electoral authoritarianism in Ethiopia : from EPRDF to EPP / Zemelak Ayitenew Ayele --
Constitutionalism and developmental authoritarianism : power, law, and legitimacy in post-genocide Rwanda / Teresa Nogueira Pinto --
Egypt's plasticine constitution : autocratic democracy and the 2018 presidential elections / Sherif Elgebeily --
Internal party democracy in Tanzania : a reflection on three decades of multiparty politics / Edwin Babeiya --
Party-political financing, democracy, and constitutionalism in Ethiopia / Zelalem Degifie --
Nigeria in search of a credible electoral administration : recent reforms and persistent challenges / Rotimi T. Suberu --
Adjudication of disputed presidential elections in Africa / O'Brien Kaaba and Charles M. Fombad --
Women's participation in elections and legislatures in Kenya under the 2010 constitution / Jill Cotrell Ghai --
How Zimbabwe's 2013 constitution addresses women's election and participation in parliament / Makanatsa Makonese --
Reversing the surging tide toward authoritarian democracy in Africa / Charles M. Fombad.

The third wave of democracy that reached African shores at the end of the Cold War brought with it a dramatic decline from 1990 onwards in dictatorships, military regimes, one-party governments, and presidents for life. Multiparty democracy was at the core of the constitutional revolutions that swept through most of Africa in those watershed years. However, that wave is either losing momentum or receding - or being reversed in its entirety. This volume examines democracy and elections in Africa, a focus motivated by two concerns. First, after 30 years it is important to take stock of the state of constitutional democracy on the continent. The democratic gains of the 1990s and 2000s seem to be falling by the wayside, with the evidence mounting that regimes are concealing authoritarianism under the veneer of elections, doing so in an international context where populist regimes are on the rise and free and fair multiparty elections are consequently no longer a given. It is becoming a battle to protect and retain constitutional democracy. The second reason for this volume's focus on democracy and elections is that multiparty democracy is essential for the proper functioning of the state in addressing the major problems facing Africa - internal conflict, inequality and lack of development, and poor governance and corruption. The focus of this volume is thus on how competitive politics or multiparty democracy can be realized and how, through competition, such politics could lead to better policy and practice outcomes.

There are no comments on this title.

to post a comment.

here