The Part of the Protestant Church in the Processes of Exiting Electoral Crises in Francophone Black Africa

Abstract

The analysis presented in this paper starts from an observation that generally shows pluralist electoral competitions in Francophone (French-speaking) black Africa not as frameworks for the expression of political adversity, but rather as real moments of enmity, disorder and multifaceted conflicts. Indeed, the democratic processes initiated by most African States at the beginning of the 1990s did not allow the desired liberalization of the political field. They were confronted with the ruse of political leaders wishing to stay in power for a long time by developing strategies for circumventing real political pluralism, neutralizing and assimilating the opposition. The “passive democracy” that has finally been achieved is characterized by the continuation of monopolistic practices and habits in a context that is supposed to be politically liberal and plural. The resolution of the crisis which strewn the electoral processes in black Africa generally requires a strong implication of various actors and on various scales, in particular the religious actors. The part of the Protestant Church in the process of getting out of the electoral crisis is thus understood as the process of involving the Protestant clergy in the management of socio-political mores before, during and after electoral competitions. Undeniably, the function of the Protestant Church in French-speaking black Africa is not limited only to the mission of evangelization and prayers for peace in the nation, it extends to the management of these socio-political crises. This study is methodologically and theoretically based on documentary research and neo-institutionalism, taking into account the fact that the outcomes of electoral crises are above all political processes and action frameworks where institutional linkages mutually influence each other.