Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Conflict, Displacement and Transformation

Reconciling winners and losers in post-conflict elections in West Africa : political and policy imperatives

Upphovspersoner:	Norberg, Carin | Obi, Cyril
Utgivare:	Nordiska Afrikainstitutet | Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Conflict, Displacement and Transformation | Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År:	2007
Ämnesord:	elections, Electoral systems, Voting, political participation, Democratization, Peaceful coexistence, Conference reports, Peace and conflict research, Freds- och konfliktforskning

In post-conflict societies, elections play several roles. They provide citizens with the opportunity to freely chose their leaders and representatives, and provide countries emerging from civil wars with new opportunities to come to terms with a traumatic past and rebuild their lives and societies in a secure and stable environment. For the international community, post-conflict elections lend credibility to peace agreements and provide an exit strategy. However, when elections are poorly timed or administered, and outstanding issues of justice, participation, national ownership and sustainability of the peace process are not well addressed, there is always a chance that the entire process may unravel. This report based on the debates and discussions of a panel debate on Winners and Losers in Post-Conflict Elections in West Africa, draws on insights from post-conflict elections in the sub-region and provides some crucial policy recommendations as well as areas for further research.

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