Credible Elections Research Articles

E-Enabling as a Technological Platform for Electoral Democracy in Uganda

Globally, failure to have active, effective, and full participation in elections makes democracy wishful thinking. Considering the ineffectiveness of traditional methods of political participation alone, online political participation (e-enabling), especially through the use of the internet and social media, comes in handy in a bid to have a fair and credible election. This study investigates how e-enabling can act as a technological platform for electoral democracy in Uganda. Specifically, the study aims to establish the relationship between e-enabling and electoral democracy among citizens in Uganda. Using the mixed methods, under a descriptive correlational survey, a sample of N=482 respondents were in the study. Based on Pearson’s correlation coefficients, results reveal that e-enabling is significantly related to electoral democracy. Providing platforms like fair electoral policies and guidelines to enable people freely adopt and utilise the internet in elections through free social media, free or low-cost internet, good nationwide networks, minimising internet shutdowns so that all electoral stakeholders can freely express themselves and actively engage in all stages of the electoral process with the utmost fairness, transparency and accountability will go a long way in having e-enabling as a technological platform for strengthening electoral democracy in Uganda

Paradoxes of credible elections in Nigeria

This study examines the influence of public awareness campaign on electoral process in Nigeria. The paper used the conflict theory to explain the role of the political elite in the conduct of elections in Nigeria. The writers reviewed contemporary literature and empirical studies on election to bridge possible gap in knowledge between this research and the previous research on election studies. The paper adopted the survey method, and reviewed primary data on public perception of elections in Nigeria. The data extracted from questionnaires and hypotheses were analyzed and tested using chi-square (c2) statistical tool. There would normally be a relationship between public awareness of election and voters’ commitment to the success of the election. This study however, revealed that there was no correlation between public awareness of election processes and voters’ knowledge of their role in elections in Nigeria. So, there will be need for the Nigerian electoral commission to investigate why awareness campaign on elections appears to be ineffective in Nigeria.

E-Engaging on Electoral democracy in Uganda: A Correlational Study

Limited citizen participation in elections, politics, and leadership remains a governance challenge globally especially in Low developed countries like Uganda. Citizens have over time through traditional methods, been encouraged to participate in elections; however, without internet use, no meaningful participation may be achieved. Electoral democracy has been one of the cornerstones of democracy all over the world. Without free, inclusive, fair, transparent, open, and credible elections being conducted, with meaningful representation of the people, the power of the people cannot be achieved. The objective/ purpose of this study, therefore, is to examine the effect of E-Engaging on Electoral democracy in Uganda. This study took both the quantitative paradigm and qualitative approach, thus the adoption of mixed methods research in order to capture the conflicting ideas of reality with more focus on the quantitative approach. A correlational research design was adopted and a sample size of 472 respondents was selected. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient tests were used for the hypotheses. The results show that there exists a statistically significant and positive association between E-engaging and electoral democracy, based on Pearson’s correlation coefficients. The study recommends that there is a need to design easily downloadable mobile applications that can be utilised for online campaigns, online voter education and online voting. These should however, be first sampled like in a university election before being used in a general election to rule out their effectiveness and efficiency. These should also have internal security systems designed for the security of the ballot papers if it is for online voting in order to reduce the levels of voter bribery, ballot stuffing, delayed delivery of electoral materials and vote rigging.

The Church and the Quest for Peaceful and Credible Elections in Ghana

The article is a critical reflection on the role of the church in the search for credible and peaceful elections in Ghana. Ghana has had eight general elections under the 4th Republic since 1992. The elections have been characterised by violence, cheating, and loss of property and in some instances lives. The church, civil society organizations, advocacy groups, donor agencies, etc. have played various roles to ensure free, fair, and credible elections. The general elections in Ghana however are not devoid of electoral challenges. The article argues that despite the challenges associated with general elections in Ghana, the church’s contribution over the years is still relevant and inevitable and therefore must be deepened for future general elections. The article pays attention to reports on general elections in Ghana by key organizations like the Electoral Commission of Ghana, the European Union, the African Union, the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), and the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa on elections in Ghana. The article concludes with a recommendation that the church must deepen its programmes, resources, and capacity of its personnel for future elections as the nation keeps searching for lasting solutions to its electoral challenges. The quest for credible and peaceful elections should be done on the principles of dialogue, consensus building, and the very Constitution which governs the nation. The church must deepen its public education, mediation, reconciliation, and spiritual support dimensions to the electoral process. Keywords: Public Theology, African Christianity, Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, General Elections in Ghana

Electoral Violence and Political Instability in Nigeria: Implication for National Cohesion

Nigeria had her first election in 1922 under the Clifford’s Constitution. Since then, under different dispensations, elections are held to fill various positions in both the legislative and executive arms of government. Elections in Nigeria are largely characterized with violence leading to loss of lives and wanton destruction of properties. Also, political parties are adorned with ethnic and regional colouration. Consequently, voters are largely ethnically and regionally biased in an attempt to put into office “one of their own.” This is the principal basis for the widespread electoral violence witnessed since independence in 1960. Successive governments have made frantic efforts to de-ethnicize and de-regionalize political contests and consequently achieve violence free and credible elections, particularly since the commencement of the Fourth Republic. These efforts have not achieved much in terms of stemming the occurrence of electoral violence. The corollary is fragmentation of the polity along ethno-religious and regional lines, thereby creating political instability and attendant inhibition of national cohesion since independence, six decades ago. Thus, the main objective of this paper is to show that electoral violence and the resultant political instability negatively affect national cohesion. The study adopted the State Compromise Paradigm to explain the need for sincerity among the political leaders of the different ethnic groups in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities in order to achieve national cohesion. The study relied mainly on secondary data focusing on political instability and weak national cohesion in the country. The study revealed that efforts at de-ethnicizing and de-regionalizing political contests as well as discouragement of violence in political contestation with ethno-religious bias had not yielded much positive results in the country. The paper concludes that unless and until electoral contestation in Nigeria is violence free, enduring political stability and national cohesion may remain unattainable. The study recommends, among other things, that state institutions should function for the benefit of all citizens, political leaders should avoid fanning the embers of ethnicity during elections and government should put in motion a sincere policy and programme for national cohesion.

Leadership Challenges in Democratization: An Analysis of Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria

<div class="WordSection1"><div class="WordSection1"><div class="WordSection1"><p><em>This study discusses Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) leadership challenges utilizing INEC's environment. INEC leadership underperformance compelled the study. The study aimed to identify INEC leaders' 1999–2019 difficulties. The study used in-depth interview data. Nine commission leaders with extensive expertise were interviewed. The analysis shows that INEC's leadership system hinders its mandate. Inadequate manpower, political elites' manipulation, inadequate training, ad-hoc staff problems, inadequate funding, lack of technological know-how, financial autonomy, standard operating system, poor electorate cooperation, and political interference have hampered INEC's democratic election organization in Nigeria. The INEC should have complete independence, embrace innovations, reforms, sensitization programs, adequate funding, more permanent staff, improved voting machines, and training and retraining to help Nigeria hold credible elections. These obstacles help INEC leadership establish itself in the electoral system to foster democratic growth, maturity, and consolidation</em></p></div></div></div>

EXPLAINING ELECTION AS A CURSE TO DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA: REFLECTIONS FROM SOME SELECTED AFRICAN COUNTRIES

There is no gainsaying that lawful, peaceful and credible elections are the invaluable ingredients for democratic deepening and consolidation. It is also seen as an indispensable feature of democratic governance, a source of legitimacy enjoyed by the government and to a considerable degree it also establishes the height of political development of a given polity. And more importantly, election is also conceived as a mechanism of peace building; it serves as a medium of peaceful resolution of societal political differences and preferences while at the same time building citizen’s trust in the capacity of collective decisions and institutions to govern. However, in most African transitory and ailing democracies such as Kenya, Gabon, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Cote d’Ivoire, elections are now becoming a source of credible threat to democratic sustenance, stability and governance. Elections in these polities are devoid of democratic ingredients; they are rather fraudulent, lawless, destructive and violent in nature. This obviously cannot enthrone stable and sustainable democratic systems. Thus, this paper interrogates the dangers and damage these illegal, unsecured and undemocratic elections pose to the democratization processes and political systems in Africa. To achieve the purpose of the study, the paper mainly drew its data from secondary sources and based in inferences from selected African countries argued that if these affected countries fail to reconfigure and democratize their electoral processes and systems, elections will remain a formidable threat to the democratization process and governance process and state systems of these societies.

The Dynamics of European Union Foreign Electoral Assistance: Case of Kenya’s General Elections

Electoral integrity is widely recognized as an indispensable element of democratic consolidation in the developing world. However, achieving electoral integrity in these countries has been hindered, in part, by their deficient capacity to invest in the essential resources required to enable key sectors to fulfill their roles in ensuring free, fair, and credible elections. Additionally, elections in these regions often report malpractice characteristics such as electoral fraud, contested results, and protracted legal disputes over outcomes. Consequently, external actors have been called upon to help bridge these gaps, foster peaceful political transitions, and bolster the process of democratization. Despite substantial support from foreign actors, there is a paucity of research focusing on the dynamics of their involvement through technical and capacity-building initiatives. Existing research often presents passive assertions about specific African countries, leaving a dearth of empirical evidence regarding the extent and manner of external actors’ engagement in these nations. Consequently, fundamental questions concerning when, how, and to what effect external actors intervene in foreign electoral support efforts remain unanswered. This study investigates the European Union’s contribution in supporting democratization in Kenya through technical and capacity-building assistance. Employing a case study approach and interpretive descriptive designs, the research delves into the intricacies of EU electoral support in Kenya. By conducting purposive Key Informant Interviews with representatives from key stakeholder institutions and administering surveys to 384 respondents, this study discerns that foreign technical and capacity-building assistance primarily occurs during elections, despite EU policy documents emphasizing that elections are a process rather than a one-time event. The findings reveal that capacity building and technical support, while closely intertwined, are analytically distinct components of EU support, both delivered through the basket fund mechanism. This support is targeted at both governmental institutions involved in elections and non-governmental stakeholders. Crucially, the study establishes that the extent to which the EU’s support can contribute to free, fair, and credible elections hinges on the degree of “political hygiene” practiced by the political class and political parties. In essence, the effectiveness of EU support is profoundly influenced by the conduct of domestic political actors, highlighting the intricate interplay between foreign assistance and internal political dynamics. The theoretical framework is guided by Professor Michal Doyle’s Liberal Democratic Peace Theory.

Nigeria's Legal Regulatory Framework for Ensuring a Credible 2023 Election

Since independence, the Nigerian electoral process has been plagued with spiralling anomalies, including worsening violence, intimidation, death and fraud. This has jeopardized Nigeria's socio-economic, political and national security and eroded confidence in the democratic process as well as increased election season security concerns. For elections to be credible, the competition must be fair, which requires impartial process management. So, despite the recently revised Electoral Act and other related laws that could help Nigeria realize its potential for credible elections. This work argues that the legal framework still has several components that must be studied or introduced to improve electoral processes. The method used is qualitative with a case study approach and empirical juridical. The results of this study propose that Article 225 of the Constitution be amended to eliminate the requirement for cash given to political parties from outside Nigeria to be transferred to INEC; otherwise, the donation must be notified to INEC and made public. The constitution should be modified to establish an Election Offenses Commission or Court to try and punish individuals (INEC officers, candidates and voters) who violate articles 114–128 of the new law. Section 29(5) of the Elections Act should be amended to allow the Federal Capital Territory and the High Court of Abuja State to hear and resolve pre-election disputes. In addition, instead of focusing on technical matters, the trial for the regional election application should focus more on the substance of the application and the facts of the case.

The Politics of the Electoral Act Amendment and the 2019 General Elections in Nigeria

Amending the 2010 Electoral Act before Nigeria’s 2019 general elections generated huge controversies. The determination of the legislature to get the Electoral Act amended and the refusal of the executive to grant assent to the Electoral Bill raises the question: In whose interest was the proposed amendment? The present article examines the political issues that surrounded the amendment of the Electoral Act vis-à-vis the 2019 elections in Nigeria. The article argues that the electoral amendment bill may not after all be in the interest of a credible election as each political party tried to manipulate the bill and the process of amendment to its advantage. The article is qualitative and theoretical and adopts the thematic analysis to draw contextual inferences. It also adopts the cartel party theory.

The Nigerian State and Democratic Governance: A Need for Revisitation of Democratic Ethos

The study examined the practice of democracy in Nigeria, bearing in mind the tenets of democracy. Democracy has been accepted as the most viable and sustainable form of government by world leaders and is used to determine the extent of freedom enjoyed in different countries of the world. However, the availability of the freedom it offers in Nigeria is questionable. This is largely due to the lack of democratic principles such as free, fair and credible elections, mass participation in the governance processes, independence of the judiciary, rule of law, etc. While successive governments since 1999 have verbalized efforts at strengthening democratic ethos/culture in the country, observers are of the view that the democratic practice in Nigeria is a far cry from the acceptable norms. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to examine the extent to which democratic ethos have been institutionalized in the Nigerian State. The study adopted the Participatory Theory of democracy, its main idea being the provision of greater involvement and control over all governmental laws and non-governmental rules pertaining to the citizens, and to analyze the imperative to revisit the practice of democracy in Nigeria. The study relied mainly on secondary data focusing on the nature and character of democratic governance in the country. The study revealed that efforts at institutionalizing democracy, enhancing mass participation as well as achieving development had not yielded the desired outcomes in the country. This is evident in the increasing rate of electoral violence that characterizes elections over the years in the country. The paper concluded that, for Nigeria to substantially deliver the “dividends of democracy” to the people, the state must revisit the culture and practice of democracy in the country. The study recommended, among other things, that the state should strive to uphold the rule of law at all times, ensure judicial independence, enhance mass participation in the governance processes and efforts should also be made to guarantee free, fair and credible elections.

9 - Digital Technologies and Election Management in Zimbabwe: Pseudo-democratic Transition and Contorted Delirium?


 
 
 This article examines the extent to which the adoption of biometric voter registration in election management in Zimbabwe has appeared a phantom on the horizon regarding democratisation. While the emergence of digitalised election management brought with it expectations of credible electoral processes and outcomes in a country with a history of rampant electoral malpractices in manually managed processes, the phenomenon is yet to yield positive results regarding democratisation in Zimbabwe. Despite the shift from manually managed electoral process to a digitalised approach, the quagmire of irregularities has persisted in Zimbabwean elections. This is largely attributable to the trajectory of governance in Zimbabwe which appears to militate against the exploitation of the opportunities presented by digital technologies in democratising elections in the county. This said, the conclusion drawn from this article is that the configuration of political power, particularly issues of the breach of the democratic principles of separation of power and separation of personnel, are disingenuous to technology-induced democratic transition to credible elections. Secondary research was used to obtain data for this article as data were gathered from books, journal articles, newspaper articles and institutional reports.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Torque Mude, Senior Lecturer, Department of Politics and Public Management, Midlands State University, Zimbabwe. Research Fellow, Regional Integration and AfCFTA Cluster, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa, Kigali, Rwanda. Email: mudetorque@gmail.com; mudeta@staff.msu.ac.zw; torque.mude@un.org
 
 

The Competence of the Electoral Commission to Conduct Free and Fair Elections in Tanzania: A Legal Analysis

The credibility of election being termed as free and fair election cannot be examined without examining the competence and independence of the Electoral Commission with mandates of conducting the elections. In Tanzania, Electoral Commission of Tanzania vested with mandates of conducting elections is constitutionally and statutorily described to be an independent body with the mandates of carrying out its functions without adhering to directives from any person. Nonetheless, the analysis in this study reveals that the Electoral Commission of Tanzania’s set-up is unlikely to run elections and produce a government that reflects the will of Tanzanian voters. This is so because the said Electoral Commission is not independent of the ruling party, in particular the influence of the incumbent President. The incumbent President's legal mandates in interfering with the Commission's functioning give the ruling party an advantage over other political parties during elections. The incumbent President is more likely to dictate election results than the Electoral Commission. These create an unfair playground for other participating parties during elections. It is also revealed that the courts in Tanzania lack jurisdiction to deal with petitions against presidential results once declared by the Electoral Commission. As such, the independence and impartiality of the Electoral Commission to run free and fair elections remain a serious legal concern for the supporters of the effective functioning of democracy. Lastly, this paper concludes that the Electoral Commission of Tanzania is not competent, impartial and independent to run credible, free and fair election in the country. Thus, this calls for serious legal reform to establish an electoral body capable of conducting free and fair elections in the country.

Adopting the Election Petition Model as a Means of Fast Tracking Justice Delivery in the Regular Court System in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects

It is a truism that sound and credible elections are a sine qua non for sustainable democracy. The citizens in a society do not only desire a credible system for the selection of their leaders, but also seek functional and unbiased institutional processes to settle election matters. Consequently, election petition remains a viable and reorganized alternative open to any person or party dissatisfied with the conduct of an election to ventilate his or her grievances. Over the years, litigants/petitioners have continued to patronize the election petition tribunals/courts with minimal or no success as most of the petitions ended up being thrown out for non-compliance with the applicable electoral legislations or technicalities. Consequently, this paper analyses the current election petition model in Nigeria with a view to highlighting practices that may be adapted to the regular court process to improve speedy dispensation of justice. The paper adopts a doctrinal methodology which undertakes a comparative study of Nigeria and other relevant foreign jurisdictions. The paper analyses the procedural and institutional aspects of the election petition system viz-a-viz the court system in Nigeria and further examines the practice in other foreign jurisdictions with an attempt to identify norms and practices that can be adopted to strengthen the election petition model in Nigeria.

Election Related Conflicts in Nigeria: The Role of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is the Electoral Management Body (EMB) established in Nigeria to deliver free, fair, and credible elections through a transparent and peaceful process. However, the origin of violence perpetrated during elections with wanton destruction of public and private property, including loss of lives all over the country, calls for an examination of the role of INEC in this regard. This study used historical method analyses to examine the role of INEC. The study found out that though INEC has, to a large extent, performed its role and also helped to deepen democracy in Nigeria since its establishment in 1998. Further studies also found that INEC’s poor organisational abilities, lack of essential transparency, widespread procedural irregularities, substantial evidence of fraud, widespread voter disenfranchisement at different stages of the process, etc., have been responsible for the numerous incidences of conflict in the country during elections. This paper concludes and recommends that external challenges, such as security, inadequate funding, and the desperation amongst Nigerian politicians, be moderated and curtailed with a synergy between the Legislature and Executive arms. At the same time, the judiciary plays its role well, including that INEC employs professional ethics amongst its staff with organisational and logistical efficiency and effectiveness in the electoral process. INEC’s role will be overtly transparent and therefore lead to the delivery of peaceful rather than conflict-infected elections.

Youth and the electoral violence in Nigeria’s democratic regime: Lesson for youth ahead of 2023 general election

This study is a qualitative research data in which data where collected from the secondary sources from books, journals and the government reports. Youth in democratic governance have been used to thwarting the election process or creating confusion that could led to generate doubt in the conduct of free, fair and credible election. Employing thug to boycott the legal procedure in order to win the election or disruption the election creating avenue for electoral violence to manifest. Electoral violence is among the major factors that affect the democratic regime in Nigeria. Throughout the history of democratic governance in Nigeria, electoral violence have affected negatively the socio-political and economic wellbeing and democratization process that has been struggled to put place in the country since the independence. This paper examines the manifestations of electoral violence instigated by youth in Nigerian democracy. The findings showsnumerous factors that contributed to the electoral violence in democratic governance of Nigeria. These factors comprise electoral rigging which manifests in various stages such as snatching of ballot box, and voters buying, godfatherism and institutional incapacity in managing election and mismanagement.

Free, fair and credible? An assessment of Kenya 2017 Election

Periodic, free, fair, and credible elections are one of the undisputed principles of liberal democracy. Kenya embraced multiparty democracy at independence in 1963 and has since used periodic elections as a means of selecting leaders to office. Focusing on Kenya’s national election held on 8 August 2017, this paper evaluates the fundamental requirements for a free, fair, and credible election. To this end, the paper assesses Kenya’s electoral legal framework and its application during the 2017 national elections. In addition, the paper uses primary data by Afrobarometer to explore public opinion on the performance of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), political parties, and the media towards free, fair, and credible elections. This study finds that despite some institutional challenges, Kenya’s 2017 national elections were conducted under a comprehensive electoral legal framework and met the threshold of free, fair, and credible as affirmed by the citizenry through Afrobarometer’s public opinion survey. The positive assessment of universally accepted electoral practice indicators by most of the people affirms that, notable challenges notwithstanding, Kenya’s 2017 national elections were free, fair, and credible, thus endorsing the legitimacy and authority of elected leaders. This argument is cognisant of the election outcome as a fundamental factor in shaping public perception of freeness and fairness in the electoral process.

Assessing International Donor Agencies and Election Support in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic

The study basically assessed the role of international donor agencies and election supports in Nigeria between 1999-2015.Anchored on Poliarchy theory of international democracy and democratization as advanced by Dahl and expanded by William as it theoretical underpinning, the study utilized both primary and secondary sources of data to generate relevant information which aided the compilation of this study. In effect, findings revealed that USAID and multilateral donors like the EC have primarily supported the installation of the Euro-American version of liberal democracy, expressed overtly as support for rule of law, individual freedom and civil liberty, and free, fair and credible elections. Again and again, it was discovered that USAID played a significant role in the electoral support but to a lesser extent, they are yet to achieve their objectives as most of the informants responded negatively in terms of the needful of what USAID need to do to influence election and democratic governance in Nigeria. Based on this, the study recommends amongst others; that USAID should monitor the implementation and effective use of the electoral supports provided to avoid fungibility. Political parties should also be trained to be ideological based and principle inclined instead of just capturing power for personal benefit. This, will no doubt enable for proper monitoring, implementation and effective utilization of supports from donors agencies henceforth.

E-Election System

Fundamental right to vote or simply voting in elections forms the basis of democracy. The conduct of periodic, competitive, participatory, credible and non-violent elections is one of the main yardsticks used to determine the democratic condition of a country. These includes violent attack on the voters, result manipulations, vote buying, remoteness of polling canters etc. These are enough reasons that necessitates the design and construction of an electronic voting system that goes a long way in addressing most of these problems. The e-election system aims to eliminate the bottlenecks evident in the manual voting system such as the lengthy registration process, unnecessary transportation, election violence and ultimately the incredibility of the votes. This was achieved by developing a time effective registration platform which registers a voter and assigns a voter their voter’s card immediately. The voter also gets to vote from their nearest safe and convenient polling unit and their votes is counted where it belongs. The results obtained from subsequent tests were very impressive in terms of time, security and accuracy as compared to the manual system. Such system with all these capabilities will go a long in ameliorating the aforementioned problems of the existing manual system of voting in the Indian electoral process.

International Agency (USID) and Democratic Elections: A Prognosis to the Role of Security Personnels in Nigerian 2015 Elections

This study examined the role of an international Agency (USAID) and Democratic Election; A Prognosis to the role of Security Personnel in Nigerian 2015 Elections. USAID and other international Agencies have relentlessly assisted both the emerging and consolidating democracies such as Nigeria, in conducting free and fair elections via provision of some forms of technical assistance so as to achieve credible elections and ensure improved governance but in spite of all these, events and happenings from developed democracies and across the globe have shown that the vitality of election security to the credibility of elections cannot be ignored because the conduct of free and fair elections to a large extent depend on the security system available in the country. This study anchored on Elite theory propounded by Paredo and Gaetano with descriptive qualitative method of data collection and Content analysis. It discovered that the fact that consistently undermined democratic consolidation in Nigeria is the varying degrees and measures of electoral violence so it therefore recommends that impartial and unbiased security agencies should be recruited for each election in order to prevent the reoccurrence of electoral violence during each election.