Heres one way to prevent election violence in africa. Electoral violence prevention practice database reports. Electoral institutions and electoral violence in sub. Preventing electoral violence in africa council on. Data sets explaining and mitigating electoral violence. Alison paul deschryver discuss the role of the media during tense elections with a risk of electoral violence. Explaining and mitigating electoral violence hosted by. Election violence matters because it undermines free and fair elections. The increase in rioting ahead of municipal elections in south africa, such as that in pretoria, suggests that the countrys general election in 2019. Despite extensive literatures on democratization, civil war, and violence against civilians in civil war, the topic of electoral violence has received less attention. In the past month three project datasets were published.
In using the electoral violence prevention practice database, the user can search interventions by country, election year, intervention type, or implementer. We propose a model of electoral competition where, although some voters oppose violence, it is effective in intimidating swing voters. This search platform allows combing data from two or more databases. Background of the study within the context of a complete break away from one party and military dictatorships, african countries dived into competitive multiparty elections since the 1990s. Jul 18, 2017 through the african renaissance and international cooperation fund, pretoria has provided direct support to electoral processes, including in the drc, zimbabwe, the comoros and south sudan. Preventing election violence in africa public agenda newspaper. The study was reliant on electoral violence theory by hoglund 2009. These sections are a summary of the presentations and subsequent discussions at the regional conference on political and electoral violence in east africa and encapsulate the major themes explored at the. Strengthening the role of the african union in preventing, managing, and resolving conflict, the. Even in situations in which the human death toll remains low, election violence may have a critical impact on the electoral process, the outcome of the elections and their perceived legitimacy.
While you may be asked to write on a series of potential topics, there are similarities in all of the possible subjects. Evpi dataset final election violence prevention intervention database codebook this database includes data on electoral violence interventions undertaken by the united national development program between 2003 and 2015 inclusive. Explaining and mitigating electoral violence hosted by the. Clark gibson uc san diego, karen ferree uc san diego, james long location. Our task here is to begin the inquiry by focusing on a workshop held in ethiopia in december 2008. The importance, how to, effect causes relationship, comparison, history, role, solutions are discussed. For example, nigeria, in 2003 federal election, at least 100 people were killed and many more were injured, 600 people were reported killed in the december 2007 presidential election. Preventing and managing violent electionrelated conflict in africa. Policy notes electoral violence in africa september 2012 upcoming elections september 2012december 20 table 2 shows the elections scheduled for between september 2012 and december 20. Using round 4 afrobaromter survey data from 20 african countries in.
African countries that account for most of the postelection violence since 1990 had quasiindependent judiciaries. The african electoral violence database aevd created by scott straus and charlie taylor shows that approximately 60 per cent of elections held in africa between 1990 and 2008 exhibited various forms. Essential for scholars and policymakers across the social sciences and humanities interested in democratization, peacekeeping and peace studies, violence in african elections provides important insights into why some communities prove more prone to electoral violence than others, offering practical suggestions for preventing violence through. Impartial, credible election observers play a key role in shaping perceptions about the quality and legitimacy of electoral processes. Apr 27, 2016 election violence matters because it undermines free and fair elections. What factors and indicators contribute to african electoral violence. The citizens and their allies reported by sending text messages to both the african great lakes initiative callin center and to uchaguzi, a monitoring software system. Comparing theory and reality gregory wallsworth september 25, 2015 abstract various studies on election violence in africa have found violence to mar as high as eightypercent of african elections. The link between electoral violence and nigerias 2003 and 2007 elections is analysed based on hoglunds analytical framework of electoral violence, as well as its applicability to the nigerian political situation. Specific case studies of electoral violence in countries such as ghana, kenya, and nigeria provide the context to further understanding the circumstances under which electoral violence takes place, recedes, or. The study traces the roots of election violence in nigeria and ivory coast to remote and immediate causes such as saliency of communal identities in politics and communal tensions, decline in trust and social capital among communities, culture of impunity, economic vulnerabilities, institutional and behavioral issues such as erosion of trust in the electoral justice system, lack of internal. Celestin monga identified eight problems with african politics which according to him are. Postsoviet african democratization has introduced elections into contexts that often lack restraints upon the behavior of candidates, resulting in the emergence of voter intimidation, votebuying, and ballot fraud.
Paw network researcher mimmi soderberg kovacs folke bernadotte academy has coedited a new volume on electoral violence in africa entitled violence in african elections. A stunning result from the data and the african electoral violence dataset, compiled by scott straus and charlie taylor, is the failure of electoral violence to abate over time. Preventing election violence in africa public agenda. We do this by using a broader sample of countries and examining heterogeneity in response to, and fears of, violence. The african union series electionrelated disputes and political violence strengthening the role of the african union in preventing, managing, and resolving conflict report of the au panel of the wise july 2010 international peace institute. As the explaining and mitigating electoral violence comes to a close, we are publishing our data and our research findings. Elections in africa are periods in which the stability and security of african states hangs in the balance, due to the threat of election violence ibid. In the last years, crucial electoral processes took place or are taking place in a substantial number of countries across africa. Since then, the trend line seems to be decreasing but still remains close to 50 percent. Dialogue on codes of conduct for political parties in elections. But is the prevalence of electoral violence in africa an indication of a setback in the democratization process. We develop a set of theoretical propositions to explain this variation, testing them on an original.
A recent study using data from more than 50 african elections from 2011 to 2017, showed that almost all these elections had cases of electoral violence at some stage of the poll kewir et gabriel. Electoral violence prevention practice database reports on. The workshop was organized by international idea in partnership with the african union commission auc department of political. Like its three predecessors, the 2009 symposium was part of eisas contribution to building democracy and advancing democratic governance, human rights, peace and citizen participation in africa. But just as important, violent intimidation may disenfranchise voters and. Bibliography includes bibliographical references pages 177187 and index. Proponents of democracy would theorize that violence around elections should decrease as countries stayed democratic for longer periods of time. Electoral violence is more than just physical violence. The countries at risk of electoral violence dataset, a global dataset of electoral violence broken down by type and by month.
Tensions over land rights, employment and ethnic marginalization are three dominant characteristics of recurring electoral violence. With this in mind, a workshop on ideas electoral risk management tool was held in addis ababa on 1921 november 2012. Nov 22, 2017 african countries that account for most of the postelection violence since 1990 had quasiindependent judiciaries. In the winter of 2007, machetewielding mobs marauded around the kenya, hacking rival tribes to death and burning women and children alive. Nov 08, 2017 the study traces the roots of election violence in nigeria and ivory coast to remote and immediate causes such as saliency of communal identities in politics and communal tensions, decline in trust and social capital among communities, culture of impunity, economic vulnerabilities, institutional and behavioral issues such as erosion of trust in the electoral justice system, lack of internal. African union panel of the wise, electionrelated disputes and political violence. Black people were 23% of those killed despite being only % of the population.
The programme documents are coded according to intervention type. The analysis in this paper expands on previous country speci c work in related papers like bratton 2008, hickman 2009, and collier and vicente 2014. Through the african renaissance and international cooperation fund, pretoria has provided direct support to electoral processes, including in the drc, zimbabwe, the comoros and south sudan. What factors and indicators contribute to african electoral. The results of the elections in 2005 can only be understood in the context of the violence of 2002 and 2008. Electoral violence therefore is a form of anomic participation in the political process elaigwu, 2006. During the course of the last couple of decades, democracy has formally been established as the dominant political system across the continent. Find your representatives, see where they stand, then demand action to end police violence.
Between democracy and big man politics zed books 2018. The most severe violence took place in yendi, where the yanaa of dagbon was. The evidence showed that patrimonialism as the style of politics, the types of elections, the type of electoral system and election administration are the main causes of election violence in africa. Yet, electoral violence in some cases can be predicted based on past experience, tensions and an assessment of the electoral environment and prevailing circumstances in a country. We have been tasked by our client with constructing an. The tables brief analysis of the anticipated outcomes of the elections in terms of electoral violence is based on the historical and structural. The workshop was organized by international idea in partnership with the african union. Causes of electoral violence in africa democracy chronicles. March 10, 2010 trends in electoral violence in subsaharan africa summary. Electoral violence in west africa a comparative analysis. The carter center has been a pioneer of election observation, monitoring more than 100 elections in africa, latin america, and asia since 1989 and forging many of the techniques now common to the field.
Or maybe there is the fear that should electoral violence erupt and escalate in ghana, it will influence the youth in america to make their country ungovernable. With 30 african countries holding elections in 2011, and another 20 scheduled for 2012 elections, this book is especially timely for policymakers. Consequences of electoral violence the costs associated with electoral violence are high. In 2015, elections brought about the first peaceful transfer of power to africa s most populous country, nigeria, but also led to mass civil unrest and instability in burundi. An empirical examination of existing theories gregory wallsworth october 28, 2015 abstract recent studies of election violence in africa found violence mars as many as 80 percent of african elections. Electoral violence in west africa a comparative analysis of. Political violence that however arises mainly from the conduct of election with the intent of influencing the outcome of election can be described as electoral violence. African example of peace for other, less democratic african countries to follow 2009. The study of green grass is popular among agrostologists. Political violence in south africa points to rising.
The database represents an online tool for the user to perform customized research in an expanded universe of such practices. Indeed, according to the cleen foundation, violence has been. Heres one way to prevent election violence in africa the. Representatives from international groups, including the carter center from the united states, european union and the african union, joined kenyan citizens. A decade of electoral violence in africa, 2004 to 20 electoral violence has, in certain instances, catalyzed prolonged political conflict.
Electoral violence in africa introduction since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in sub. Get free research paper on effects of electoral violence on nigeria democracy 2007 2011 a case study of south west our project topics and materials are suitable for students in nigeria with case studies. The book breaks new ground with findings from the only known dataset of electoral violence in subsaharan africa, spanning 1990 to 2008. But this support is often limited to logistical, technical and financial support and is not especially helpful in preventing electoral violence. The purpose of the policy notes series is to engage in a public debate and a policy dialogue on current african issues informed by research taking place at the nordic africa institute. Using round 5 afrobarometer survey data from 35 african coun. Burchard addresses two principal questions in electoral violence literature. Oct 14, 2016 burchard addresses two principal questions in electoral violence literature. For example, in the case of kenya, electoral violence was not surprise, what was the surprise was the magnitude and the level of brutality and impunity especially. Proponents of democracy would theorize that violence around elections should decrease as. In 2012, the npp rejected the 2012 election results, complaining of. Mar 11, 20 electoral violence is more than just physical violence.
Electoral institutions and electoral violence in subsaharan. Democratization and electoral violence in subsaharan. African electoral violence for a client in the federal government. While the topic of electoral systems may be interesting in itself, the attention of politicians, journalists or the general public will not be engaged unless it is clear how an electoral model will affect the fortunes of their own parties or particular interests. Preventing electoral violence in africa council on foreign. Election violence and voting in emerging democracies. Reducing electoral violence in subsaharan africa united. Electionrelated disputes and political violence african union.
106 1049 955 1206 1279 389 134 316 1512 1171 1342 703 400 754 122 1550 928 461 120 475 922 248 208 935 1270 296 1222 180 1229 726 174 267 1323 242 449 1393 203 146 819 896 974 1486 259 114 581 1393 25