Multiparty elections in Africa's new democracies
Timeframe: Jan 2001 - Jan 2002
Funder: NORAD
Lise Rakner
Professor at University of Bergen and Associated Research Professor
Why has the electoral process in the newly democratised African states had such limited impacts and how can the continued one-party dominance on the continent be explained? The report 'Multiparty elections in Africa's new democracies' submitted NORAD (Nov 2001) confronts these questions by conducting a review of the literature that has focussed on a) the main characteristics of the electoral arrangements of sub-Saharan African states, b) the characteristics of parties in the region, and c) the behaviour and attitudes of the electorate. In the second part, the general findings and conclusions of part is illustrated by an analysis of electoral policies in Zambia 1991-2001. The final part assesses the role of international donor funding. A CMI Report (Rakner and Svåsand R 2002:7) presents the findings. As part of this commissioned an additional report was submitted addressing the problem of foreign funding of political parties in newly democratised African states. The report argues that foreign funding of political parties might be a fruitful way to improve the overall quality of the political system in African democracies (Mathisen/Svåsand R 2002: 6).
Programme
Political Institutions in Africa. The Quest for Democratic Accountability
Jan 2003 - Dec 2004
