The Changing Nature of Elections in Africa: Impact on Peacebuilding

Abstract

Elections, particularly ones which transition societies from autocracy to democracy, are one of the central pillars of peacebuilding in Africa. How regular, inclusive, and credible they are will determine if they contribute to or undermine peace. This chapter probes the complicated nexus between elections and peacebuilding, as well as recent trends in election practice and technology that have impacted the way Africans perceive this vital element of democratic consolidation. It provides some provisional ideas on minimizing the “winner-take-all” ethos and other potential triggers for election-related violence in Africa.