(Ebook) Democracy, Elections, and Constitutionalism in Africa by Charles M. Fombad; Nico Steytler ISBN 9780192894779, 0192894773

(Ebook) Democracy, Elections, and Constitutionalism in Africa by Charles M. Fombad; Nico Steytler ISBN 9780192894779, 0192894773

This book is the outcome of the sixth Stellenbosch Annual Seminar on Constitutionalism in Africa (SASCA). The theme of the seminar was ‘Democracy, elections and Constitutionalism in Africa.’ The participants examined how the fledgling foundations of African constitutionalism could sail through the stormy seas of authoritarian revival and prevent the democratic recession spiralling into a depression. They examined a number of intricate issues concerning the role of elections in fostering democracy and constitutionalism. Some of the issues looked at included how we could design systems that will ensure that elections on the continent are genuinely competitive and reflect a real contest between competing approaches to nation-building and not a contest between perceived enemies? Or again, how we could reduce the cost of losing an election and encourage incumbents and opposition parties to accept defeat and continue to play by the rules of the democratic game? Whilst there are no easy and obvious answers to the numerous questions that arise, they nevertheless are important and urgent issues that need to be seriously interrogated. This is because, even if constitutionalism and democracy may not be working well today in Africa, there is no better alternative. The chapters in this book have been written by attendees from the seminar and cover a cross section of the continent’s regions and legal traditions.