The Future of Democracy in Africa (original) (raw)

The fuTure of democrAcy in AfricA AfricAn futures PAPer considerations, including the rise of terrorism and the impact and aftermath of the Arab spring. The problem is that elections do not necessarily translate into democracy. regular, free and fair elections do not provide for individual freedoms, political equality, female empowerment, an independent civil society, a free press or scope for deliberation-all key components of liberal democracy. 2 incumbent African regimes have also become adept at interfering in the electoral process, as recently seen in Zimbabwe, Uganda, ethiopia, Kenya, Angola, mozambique and elsewhere. Leaders in these countries invest significant resources in ensuring a favourable electoral outcome by constraining the democratic space. This is done by rigging the registration process, running interference (by tying opposition candidates down in spurious legal cases or barring public gatherings), misusing state resources to dispense patronage, controlling the diet of information (particularly through the abuse of public media in favour of the ruling party) and, if all else fails, directly manipulating the results or frustrating any subsequent legal challenge. This happened twice in August 2016, in Zambia and oil-rich Gabon, as presidents edgar Lungu and Ali Bongo ensured their re-election in what were essentially stolen elections. 3