Burundi’s government recently proposed constitutional changes that would, among other things, allow President Pierre Nkurunziza to stay in office beyond 2020. Civil society groups say the government is arresting opponents of those changes in advance of an upcoming referendum. Officially, Burundi’s government has banned anyone from campaigning for or against the proposed changes to the […]
Africa articles on Democracy Chronicles
News about the struggle for democracy on the ancient continent of Africa where fifty-four nations represent one of the great frontiers for democracy. Also see our World Democracy section! (FYI, Egypt is found in the Middle East section.)
Was voter buying just legalized ahead of Zimbabwe elections?
Voter buying is not a new phenomenon, stands, food, farming implements and other goodies are now know to be used as a carrot and stick measure towards every election.
Equatorial Guinea activist dies in prison after ‘torture’: opposition
An opposition activist died in prison after being tortured in Equatorial Guinea, the country’s main opposition party said Monday, accusing the government of “cruel and inhumane” treatment of its detainees. Santiago Ebee Ela, 41, died at the central police station in capital Malabo on Saturday night as a result of “cruel torture”, Citizens for Innovation […]
MIT study connects stocks, democracy, and the Arab Spring
Study shows how seriously investors took the possibility of a democratic revolution during Egypt’s Arab Spring
Weak Legislature is Crippling Nigerian Democracy
So fundamental is the diminished role of the legislature that it constitutes the make or break factor
Tanzania leader rules out extending presidential terms
Tanzanian President John Magufuli will not seek to extend presidential terms in the East African country, his party said. Some members of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) have been calling on Magufuli, 58, to extend presidential terms from the constitutionally mandated five years to seven years. “President Magufuli has appealed to Tanzanians to ignore […]
Somaliland’s Election Was Impressive, But Road Ahead Remains Daunting
The president changed for the third time in 14 years – impressive for an unrecognised nation, all the more so considering the neighbourhood it’s in
How Kenya’s 2017 Election Process Undermined Democracy
The EU mission chief said the process disappointed voters, leading to political confrontations, and the East African nation remains divided.
DR Congo voting machines go high tech for long-delayed polls
DR Congo’s electoral body trumpeted on Tuesday the arrival of the first voting machines from South Korea for long-delayed elections that the government has pledged to hold in December. The vote is supposed to bring about the belated departure of President Joseph Kabila, in power since 2001, who was supposed to step down last year […]
Coming up soon: Zimbabwe’s next revolution
This year’s harmonized elections with the presidential election, the most exciting in living memory, promises an upheaval. ZANU-PF which has held power since independence could be eliminated in the first round of a presidential ballot.