[By Steven Gruzd and Luanda Mpungose] With eight countries already going to the polls and seven more planning to do so before December, 2016 has been a busy year for elections in Africa. At the halfway point of the year, what can be concluded about democratic processes across the continent? And what can be expected from the coming months?

The return of liberal democracy

After the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, the perceived triumph of liberal democracy, coupled with cajolement from the victorious Western donor governments led many African states to re-introduce multi-party political systems, after decades of one-party or military rule. Competitive elections became institutionalised. Africa developed standards outlawing unconstitutional changes of government.

Democracy, it seemed, was making its biggest comeback since the crumbling of colonialism from the 1960s onwards.

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Source: www.saiia.org.za


AEP

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