Electoral systems, election outcomes and legal frameworks

Abstract

This chapter reviews the management of electoral processes, electoral systems and legal frameworks and how they lead to different election outcomes, as well as their implications for transitional justice in South Sudan, Rwanda and Uganda. Electoral processes refer to the ground rules for registration, the financing of political parties, moral codes for electoral campaigns, levels of integrity of registration of voters, the choice of the system of registration, the identification of voters, voting processes, mechanisms for the counting and tallying of votes, and announcements of the results. In Africa electoral processes have been poorly managed, and legal frameworks, especially a country’s Constitution, are rarely adhered to. This has led to negative election outcomes and electoral injustices, and sometimes it has degenerated into post-election violence. Addressing electoral injustices and post-election violence is part of transitional justice, which is crucial for sustaining peace in any country. The assumption is that positive election outcomes enhance transitional justice, whereas negative election outcomes pose major challenges to transitional justice. In the light of this, the study focuses on the electoral processes, legal frameworks and election outcomes in Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan, and their implications for transitional justice.