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2026 journal of african elections v25n1 front cover eisa.pdf transparent democratic governance in africa

Vote Buying in Africa: Comparisons Regarding Law and Practice

Vote buying remains a key challenge to democratic elections across Africa, as it does elsewhere. This article provides an overview of the concept of vote buying and its relationship to other phenomena, such as clientelism and campaign promises. The article also reviews the legislative provisions against vote buying across sub-Saharan Africa, noting that vote buying is effectively prohibited everywhere on the continent and is often connected with serious criminal sanctions. Furthermore, the article shows that vote buying remains a common problem in elections across many African countries. As illustrations, it explores the experiences of recent elections in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Sanctions are seldom imposed, which means the deterrent effect of any sanctions provided for in law is minimised. Popular attitudes toward vote buying, as reported by various surveys, are studied. The results reveal a complex set of views, which may vary significantly across countries and within one country over time. The article concludes that the long-term solution to this challenge appears to be economic development, which would effectively remove the demand side of vote buying; however, there is no single way to eliminate vote buying in the short term.

2025 journal of african elections v24n1 eisa transparent democratic governance in africa

Clientelism, Neo-Patrimonialism and Democratisation in Africa: Challenges to ‘Post-Conflict’ Burundi

The liberal peace model has successfully diminished ethnicity as an electoral issue in Burundi, and electoral competitions over power are today between (and within) political parties rather than ethnic groups. In light of Burundi’s early democratisation and inter-ethnic rivalries, this article argues that the model has been a significant achievement in a state that had been characterised by ethno-political strife for decades. However, the liberal peace model has failed to produce better democratic governance than that of most states in Africa. Developments after Burundi’s 2005 elections have instead brought unexpected perspectives into the equation. Since as early as 2005 – and strongly reinforced after 2010 – the CNDD-FDD has gradually increased its stranglehold on the political landscapes through clientelism, neo-patrimonialism, corruption, and violence. Burundi has now become a banal dictatorship governed by untouchable people, poor administration at all levels, and non-independent institutions. The CNDDFDD regime’s exclusionary and undemocratic practices have sown the seeds of renewed grievance-based insurgency in Burundi, ultimately creating new threats to democracy and peace. The article contributes to the literature on democratisation, electoral competitions and intergroup relations in democracies.

journal of african elections vol21 number 2 1 transparent democratic governance in africa

Elections and Electoral Processes in Somaliland: A Fading Democracy

After declaring its independence from Somalia in 1991, Somaliland has built
a system to deliver basic services to its citizens. Despite having relatively
good security, Somaliland has to date received no international recognition.
With the presidential term extension made by the House of Elders (the
Guurti) in October 2022, politics in Somaliland is at fever pitch. Public
demonstrations, sporadic clashes, mass arrests, and hate speech add to a
general sense of political disorder. Several factors have shaped the current
outlook for democracy in Somaliland, including clan politics, a rent-seeking
mentality, and weak institutional and legal frameworks. This study seeks
to emphasise the contentious way in which elections have been held in
Somaliland, and which have led to a loss of confidence in the country. The
results, as witnessed in the 2017 presidential election, led to disputes, mass
protests, and loss of life. Election time in Somaliland has therefore been
a cause of concern for both political parties and the Somaliland Election
Commission. In the battle for political leadership, the pre- and post-electoral
aftermath has become conventional. But the main victim of the battle for
political leadership has been the Somaliland Election Commission which is
torn between contesting political parties.

journal of african elections vol17 number 1 transparent democratic governance in africa

Gerontocracy in African Politics: Youth and the Quest for Political Participation

By the late 1950s and early 1960s most African colonies had attained independence from British and French rule, resulting in great optimism regarding the future of the nascent democracies on the continent. A buoyant populace transformed their memories of harsh political struggles into images of heroism and confirmed the victory of the national movement for […]

journal of african elections vol14 number 2 transparent democratic governance in africa

Language Policies and Voter Turnout: Evidence from South Africa

While many studies have probed the relationship between ethnic diversity and voter turnout, few have examined how voter turnout might be influenced by state policies that afford ethnic groups differing levels of official recognition. This study draws on theories at the intersection of political science and sociolinguistics, to develop and test an argument about the […]

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