Sökformulär

Electoral systems

Election-Related Violence : The Case of Ghana

Upphovsperson: Amankwaah, Clementina
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Conflict, Displacement and Transformation |
År: 2013
Ämnesord: Ghana, elections, Electoral systems, Voting, Political violence, Ethnicity, politics, political parties, democracy
This Current African Issue gives an overview of the causes and experiences of electionrelated violence in relation to patronage politics in Ghana. Ghana has been framed b ythe international community as a unique bastion of democracy and peace on the African continent. Nevertheless, the country has come from a military regime like many of its democratic African counterparts and is still prone to some of the problems faced by its more turbulent neighbours. The three main guiding issues that this publication will address in relation to election-related violence in Ghana are: The causes of election-related violence in Ghana Who the people most likely to cause election-related violence are The role that “big men” play in election-related violence

Votes, money and violence : political parties and elections in Sub-Saharan Africa

Medarbetare: Basedau, Matthias | Erdmann, Gero | Mehler, Andreas
Utgivare: Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet ; Kwazulu-Natal Press, South Africa
År: 2007
Ämnesord: elections, Electoral systems, political parties, democracy, Political systems, Political pluralism, Multipartyism, Africa South of Sahara, Political science, Statsvetenskap
Following the (re-)introduction of multiparty systems in Africa in the early 1990s, third and fourth elections in Africa's new democracies and hybrid regimes are now being seen. Although there is a large and growing literature on democracy and elections in Africa, parties and party systems have hitherto not been the focus of research, which may be surprising given their central role in a liberal democracy. The early works from the 1960s and 1970s provide neither a sound conceptual nor empirical basis. Research on political parties and party systems in Africa is still in its infancy. Various contributions in this volume address the theoretical and conceptual challenges provided by the African parties and party systems with their particular features of weak organisation, informal relationships dominated by 'big men' and clientelism within a neopatrimonial setting. Others raise the crucial question of representation in relation to ethnicity, civil society and gender, or look into the empirical relationship between party systems and democracy. Further chapters ask questions about the appropriate electoral system for the multiethnic context in Africa and deal with the problem of electoral system reform. Finally, there are chapters which focus on the neglected area of electoral violence, and the moral role of money and vote buying is scrutinized through a case study. An important conclusion is that party research in Africa needs more conceptual clarity as well as empirical research particularly on party organisation, voting behaviour, and the role of ethnicity.

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.