The Economist points out that elections in Africa, although a crucial element of democracy, are not enough to ensure that democratic governance takes root. The number of successful coups on the continent has declined from over 20 in 1960-69 to fewer than 10 in 2000-09 and many African countries now regularly hold elections. This year, for instance, Burundi, Guinea, and Ethiopia already had theirs and Rwanda, Tanzania, Chad, and several others are getting ready to vote. But does the ballot box translate into a functioning democracy? This map shows some big discrepancies:
Too many of the elections remain rigged or deeply flawed. Too many incumbents voted out of office refuse to step down. And, most importantly, too little effort goes into building institutions of democratic governance that would ensure transparency and accountability between elections.
Published Date: July 27, 2010