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Category Archives: African politics
Uganda and the APRM in 2014: Plenty of fire but where is the smoke?
Following on from last week’s engagements with civil society organizations (CSOs) in Tanzania, my research team traveled to Uganda for the second of seven separate country validation conferences (co-hosted by the Uganda NGO Forum) discussing the findings of the EISA … Continue reading
Posted in African politics, Democracy, Governance
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The APRM in Tanzania: Missed Potential or Potent Reform Tool in 2014?
On 5-6 November 2014, Tanzanian civil society organizations (CSOs) and representatives from governance agencies met in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to reflect on the findings of a survey conducted by the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA). The … Continue reading
Posted in African politics, Democracy, Governance
Tagged accountability, African Peer Review Mechanism, Civil Society, governance, Tanzania
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Can a Coup by any other name….? Egypt after Morsi
Being a South African watching the events unfolding in Egypt right now (the deposing of President Mohamed Morsi and the dissolving of Egypt’s Constitution in the last 24 hours), is much like being the neighbor of a particularly randy couple … Continue reading
Posted in African politics, Democracy, Governance
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[Commentary] What Sata’s victory means for Zambia
Newly elected Zambian President Michael Sata’s election victory in Zambia’s September polls has shaken up the political landscape of Southern Africa in more ways than might be expected. His election victory over his incumbent rival Rupiah Banda points to a … Continue reading
Posted in African politics, Commentary, Democracy
Tagged China, elections, Michael Sata, Patriotic Front, Zambia
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[Podcast] Reviewing the Nigerian 2011 elections: With Olufunto Akinduro
Nigeria’s elections in 2011 undoubtedly marked a return to legitimacy for a country that still carries the stigma of the chaotic elections which took place in 2007 during which the late Umaru Musa Yar Adua was elected President. I recently … Continue reading
Posted in African politics, Commentary, Democracy
Tagged analysis, Elections 2011, electoral management, Goodluck Jonathan, INEC, Nigeria
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The 2011 General Elections in Uganda: a Question for Democratic Development
On the 28th of July, 2005 the people of Uganda massively voted yes in a referendum to change the political system. With a majority of yes votes, Uganda returned to multi-party political system after 19 years of a no-party democracy. … Continue reading
Posted in African politics, Democracy
Tagged election management, Elections 2011, polling centres, Uganda, vote counting, voters
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[Commentary] Nigeria’s 2011 elections: Ballots or bullets?
There are a number of misconceptions that exist around elections. Of these, one of the most common is the myth of the ‘perfect election’. And while the absurdity of a ‘perfect election’ would seem obvious to all and sundry, many … Continue reading
Posted in African politics, Commentary, Democracy
Tagged ballot, elections, Nigeria, post-election conflict, violence
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The SADC Electoral Advisory Council and a plane called ‘Jessica’
It’s not every day that you get to witness a piece of history first hand. Even more rarely are you asked to play a part in that history, however small. My chance to do that came in the form of … Continue reading
Posted in African politics, Democracy, Governance
Tagged advisory body, elections, Electoral Advisory Council, SADC, Southern Africa
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[Commentary] The politics of fear in South Africa
Even a broken clock is right twice a day, it seems. The Sunday Times, South Africa’s most circulated weekly publication, today ran a report quoting comments by Julius Malema, President of the ANC Youth League, issuing warnings to the ethnic … Continue reading
Posted in African politics, Commentary, Democracy
Tagged African National Congress, freedom charter, Malema, political parties, race, South Africa
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African Governance 
Citizen responsibility: Ignorance is just a lazy way of ignoring our problems
Earlier today, my morning schedule took a turn towards the unexpected. In the midst of finalising reports and responding to emails, an unsolicited visitor wandered into the EISA lobby looking to speak to someone about ‘our democracy’. The visitor, an … Continue reading →