Abstract
AbstractOver 25 African countries had planned elections for 2020. In the face of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, states resorted to one of two courses of action: adherence to planned electoral timelines in the shadow of the outbreak, which largely led to record low voter turnouts and hastened the spread of the virus; or adjourning elections with ill-defined election programming, constitutional tensions and unrest over delayed polls. The global health crisis not only frustrated the organization of the electoral process but set severe challenges to democracy, the rule of law and human rights in the region at a time of landmark elections, notably in Ethiopia, Burundi and Malawi. This article analyses initial state responses in electoral administration in light of international electoral norms, and interrogates the role of national and regional mechanisms in securing safe, inclusive, timely, free and fair elections amid new infectious disease outbreaks.
Highlights
The global health crisis frustrated the organization of the electoral process but set severe challenges to democracy, the rule of law and human rights in the region at a time of landmark elections, notably in Ethiopia, Burundi and Malawi
The COVID-19 outbreak had a disruptive effect on the implementation of the African electoral calendar in 2020, which included presidential, parliamentary or local elections across more than 25 countries.[1]
In the lead-up to the elections, the government declared the country representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and three of its experts persona non grata and suspended diaspora voting in embassies to limit the spread of the Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core
Summary
The COVID-19 outbreak had a disruptive effect on the implementation of the African electoral calendar in 2020, which included presidential, parliamentary or local elections across more than 25 countries.[1]. Elections were eventually announced in December, for June 2021, with the omission of Tigray, where timelines were expected to be defined once conditions were suitable for the conduct of elections.[4] amid claims of electoral harassment, the election rerun in Malawi was held as planned and was hailed as a milestone for being the first to lead to the defeat of an incumbent.[5] In Burundi, elections were held as planned despite the pandemic, but independent international observer missions were denied access, apart from the East African Community, which was told 12 days before the polls of the requirement for two-weeks’ quarantine on arrival.[6] In the lead-up to the elections, the government declared the country representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and three of its experts persona non grata and suspended diaspora voting in embassies to limit the spread of the. 11 “Ivory Coast: Security forces surround homes of opposition leaders” (4 November 2020) Al Jazeera, available at: (last accessed 23 August 2021)
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