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Questionnaire: Democracy and Political Participation
Africa, Civil Society, Local Governance and Decentralization, Political Parties, Questionnaire , Civil SocietyThis open ended questionnaire is designed to feed into reports on government performance in the area of political participation. It is designed to evaluate states’ respect for the standards adopted by the African Union (AU) in relation to democratic principles and popular participation in government. Areas covered in the questionnaire includes the following: Constitutional Framework...
Internal Party Integrity Management in South Africa
Africa, Democracy, Political Parties, Report, Civil SocietyIt is the view of this report that, as the primary vehicle of democratic representation in South Africa, political parties should in their organisation, management and conduct aim to reflect inter alia the Constitutional values of transparency and accountability. It claims that South African political parties’ internal governance is virtually unregulated except in terms...
Democratic Republic of Congo Democracy and political participation: An assessment of the first steps into the 3rd Republic
Africa, Democracy, Electoral Systems, Political Parties, Report, Civil SocietyAs the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) prepares to go to the polls in 2011, for only the second time in more than forty years, this report, focusing on the country’s democratic credentials states that Executive power is rapidly being consolidated, to the detriment of other governance institutions. This is threatening credible participation of the Congolese citizens in the...
GNU Watch - A Year in Review
Africa, Parliament, Political Parties, Report, Civil SocietyThe Zimbabwe GNU Watch provides an overview, month by month, of political developments under the terms set out in the Global Political Agreement (GPA). The sections profiled in monthly outputs may vary depending on events and issues raised in that particular report. Where possible, the relevant article as stipulated in the GPA has been provided. As this documentation began in April, there may at...
Positioning civil society post-Polokwane: coming to terms with ANC political leadership changes
Africa, Article / Working Paper, Political Parties, Civil SocietyIn 2007 South Africa’s governing party, the African National Congress (ANC) was overhauled in what was seen as a revolt against the leadership of former Party President Thabo Mbeki. The party’s elective national conference was held in Polokwane and led to significant changes in its top political leadership with Jacob Zuma replacing Thabo Mbeki as Party President...
Understanding populism and political participation: the case of Venezuela
Democracy, Latin America and the Carribean, Political Parties, Report, Civil SocietySince the onset of oil exploitation, the Venezuelan state has had enviable financial resources. Yet, effective policy implementation continues to be difficult. Corruption and inefficiency have been constants throughout Venezuela’s democratic period. This paper examines new forms of political participation and state-civil society interaction in Venezuela. Findings include:...
Elections and accountability in South Africa
Africa, Electoral Systems, Political Parties, Report, Civil SocietyAllowing citizens to decide whether or not to extend a government’s tenure through regular elections is the principal mechanism of political accountability. It compels politicians to be more responsive to the electorate’s needs. Citizens use their vote to choose better governments and to structure incentives for the incumbents that should induce them to behave while...
Stagnation of a “miracle”: Botswana’s governance record revisited
Africa, Article / Working Paper, Democracy, Political Parties, Civil SocietyBotswana has been dubbed an 'African miracle'. The country has been praised not only for maintaining a multiparty system and high growth rates since independence but also for its good governance record. In contrast to other African countries, the extent of neopatrimonialism, which runs counter to good governance, is said to be low. This article aims to assess...
The power of proximity: strategic decisions in African Party Politics
Africa, Article / Working Paper, Electoral Systems, Political Parties, Civil SocietyThere is increasing availability of survey data which has enabled researchers to rethink and challenge the notion that ethnicity is a main determinant of political party success. The observation that people are more likely to vote regionally than ethnically, has inspired a review of the idea that African voters act parochially rather than tribally. This paper...
Inter-party relations and democracy in Botswana
Africa, Democracy, Electoral Systems, Political Parties, Report, Civil SocietyBotswana’s post-independence history has been characterised by rapid economic growth and social change. In the changing political atmosphere the citizens have begun to put pressure on political institutions as well as on the state to create more effective representation and more equitable processes for power distribution. This study examines the changing political situation and...