A democratic system of governance is a system in which the people elect the government and, if they are dissatisfied with its performance, can vote it out of power at the next election and replace it with a new government. In such systems there is equal and universal adult suffrage.One of the most important democratic rights is the right of the people to freely choose who will govern the country. Linked to this, those who aspire to govern must be able to campaign freely and to try to persuade voters to vote them into power….. : more

Civic society has always been involved in governance issues. Indeed, in 1995, owing to pressure from civic society, the Government amended Electoral Regulations [Electoral (Amendment) Regulations 1/95, Statutory Instrument 70/95] and included civic society as election monitors. Thereafter in 2000, the Government promulgated the Electoral (Amendment) Regulations 7/2000 Statutory Instrument 161A/2000, which set out the qualifications for monitors and drew a distinction between “monitor” and “observer”. The promulgation of the various instruments thus permitted civic society to fully participate in governance issues. Statutory Instrument 41B/2002 puts provisions for the Electoral Supervisory Commission to accredit observers from civic society organisations through the Accreditation Committee. …. : more

Has electoral law and practice ever been the subject of normative consensus? …. : more

Electoral Conflict Management Mechanisms: Lessons from Southern Africa The Case of RDC
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Electoral Processes and Democratization in Southern Africa: Achievements and Challenges Using Norms, Standards and Principles
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Having been a keen observer of democratization in Africa and watched several elections over the years, I wish to make the following observations before addressing the issue of reforming the electoral system and processes in Africa….. : more

On November 3, 1992 when a young Bill Clinton heard that he had won the elections as the new president of USA one of the things he said to his wife was… “Had the world been a better and fairer place you would have been the one celebrating this presidency today, because you are better suited for the job than me……. : more

Constitutional developments that have taken place in Africa are mainly seen in the context of the colonial constitutions. It is trite to conclude that although Africa has posted several positive constitutional developments during the post colonial period, there have also been major erosions, reversals and general developments that have occurred which have tended to undermine the struggle for progressive constitutionalism. …. : more

The electoral reform process is a permanent feature of any democratic society. Each country is unique and as such will implement reforms, which take into account its political realities. …. : more

Despite the differences observed here and there in the practice of conducting elections over the years from one country to the next, the convergence of various democratic traditions have given rise to what may be considered the norms and standards of election management….. : more