Constitution-building and safeguarding the integrity of elections in Africa

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis article explores the significance of constitution-building and its impact on electoral integrity in Africa. Over recent decades, numerous African countries have turned to constitution-building and revisions to enhance democracy. The role of constitutions has expanded beyond governing and regulating governance-citizen relationships; they are now crisis management tools. Ultimately, constitution-building emerges as a crucial mechanism to fortify electoral processes and democratic development, particularly within Africa. The article highlights key elements for constitution-building to strengthen electoral integrity.KEYWORDS: Electoral integrityelectionsdemocracyconstitutionsconstitution-buildingdisputesgovernmentjustice Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 Norris Pippa, Why electoral integrity matters (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014), 9 and 21.2 Charles M. Fombad, “An Overview of the State of Electoral Democracy in Africa”, African Journal of Legal Studies 14, no. 2 (2022): 245–68.3 Fombad, “Democracy in Africa”, 246.4 As noted in the introduction to the special Issue SAJIA Vol 30.3 by Toby S. James, Khabele Matlosa and Victor Shale,”Safeguarding Election Management Bodies in the Age of Democratic Recession”, South African Journal of International Affairs.5 James, Matlosa and Shale, “Safeguarding Election Management Bodies”.6 Larry Diamond, “Facing up to the democratic recession”, Journal of Democracy 26 (2015): 141.7 The Constitution Unit, “Reliance on secondary legislation has resulted in significant problems: it is time to rethink how such laws are created” October 13, 2021, https://constitution-unit.com/2021/10/13/reliance-on-secondary-legislation-has-resulted-in-significant-problems-it-is-time-to-rethink-how-such-laws-are-created/.8 J. Olonka-Onyango, ed. Constitutionalism in Africa: Creating opportunities, facing challenges, (Kampala: Fountain Publishers, 2001)9 C. Fombad, Strengthening constitutional order and upholding the rule of law in Central Africa: Reversing the descent towards symbolic constitutionalism, African Human Rights Law Journal, no. 14 (2014): 414-5.10 A. Lijphart, Patterns of Democracy, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999).11 A. Lijphart, “Constitutional design for divided societies”, Journal of Democracy 15, no. 2 (2004): 96-109.12 C. Fombad, “Strengthening constitutional order and upholding the rule of law in Central Africa: Reversing the descent towards symbolic constitutionalism”, African Human Rights Law Journal 14, (2014): 412-48.13 BO Nwabueze, Constitutional Democracy in Africa (Vol. 5): The Returned of Africa to Constitutional Democracy (Ibadan: Spectrum books Ltd, 2004); Ndulo Muna. “Constitutions and Constitutional Reforms in African Politics” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. 2019.14 Charles Manga Fombad, “Constitution-building in Africa: The never-ending story of the making, unmaking and remaking of constitutions”, African and Asian Studies 13, no. 4 (2014): 429-51.15 Winluck Wahiu, A Practical Guide to Constitution Building: An Introduction (Stockholm: IDEA, 2011).16 I Know Politics, “Women’s participation in the constitutional building process” https://www.iknowpolitics.org/en/discuss/e-discussions/womens-participation-constitution-building-process17 See Dean Stuart and Victor Shale 2009. EISA Election Observer Mission Report. Johannesburg: EISA18 Ken O Opalo, “Constitutional protections of electoral democracy in Africa: a review of key challenges and prospects”, In Annual Review of Constitution Building Process: 2015 (International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), Stockholm, 2016), 16.19 Winluck Wahiu, A Practical Guide to Constitution Building. 1st ed. Vol. 1. (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, Stockholm, 2011), 820 Lovemore Madhuku, “Constitutional Protection of the Independence of the Judiciary: A Survey of the Position in South Africa” Journal of African law 46, no. 2 (2002): 232-45.21 Perceptions of Electoral Integrity (PEI) Electoral Integrity in Africa (PEI, 2015).22 Jesus Orozco-Henriquez, Ayman Ayoub and Andrew Ellis, Electoral justice: The international IDEA handbook (Stockholm: International IDEA, 2015).23 Inter-Parliamentary Union, Declaration on Criteria for Free and Fair Elections, Geneva, Switzerland, 26 March 1994.24 Jorgen Elklit and Svensson Palle, “The Rise of Election Monitoring: What Makes Elections Free and Fair?”, Journal of Democracy 8, no. 3 (1997): 32-46.25 Jorgen Elklit and Svensson Palle, “The Rise of Election Monitoring”, 37.26 Daniel Chigudu, “A Critical Review on the Determinants of a Free, Fair and Credible Election”, International Relations 4, no. 8 (2016): 508-18.27 Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB), Safeguarding Election Management Bodies in the Age of Global Democratic Recession, 15.28 Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB), Safeguarding Election Management Bodies, 17.29 Ndulo, Muna. “Constitutions and Constitutional Reforms”.30 IDEA, “Electoral Justice: An Overview of the International IDEA” (IDEA), (Stockholm, 2010), 5-6.31 See for example the requirements in the Draft SADC Model Law on Elections by SADC Parliamentary Forum, December 2018.32 Draft SADC Model Law on Elections by SADC Parliamentary Forum.33 C. Van Ham, and HAGarnett, “Building impartial electoral management? Institutional design, independence and electoral integrity”, International Political Science Review, 40, no. 3: 313-34.34 Said Adejumobi, “Elections in Africa: A fading shadow of democracy?” International Political Science Review 21, no. 1 (2000): 59-73.35 Sir Duncan Cumming, “The UN disposal of Eritrea”, African Affairs 52, no. 207 (1953): 127-36.36 Sumit Bisarya et al, Annual Review of Constitution Building Process: 2015 (Stockholm: International Institute of Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), 2016), 5.37 Kwasi H. Prempeh, “Africa’s ‘constitutionalism revival’: False start or new dawn?” International Journal of Constitutional Law 5, no. 3 (2007): 469-506.38 Adopted by the Participants of the AU- convened Reflection Forum, on 17 March 2022, in Accra, Ghana.39 Ken O Opalo, “Constitutional protections of electoral democracy”, 17.40 Ken O Opalo, “Constitutional protections of electoral democracy”, 18.41 Ken O Opalo, “Constitutional protections of electoral democracy”, 18.42 Ken O Opalo, “Constitutional protections of electoral democracy”, 18.43 IDEA, “Electoral Justice”.44 Eldridge Vigil Adolfo, Mimmi Söderberg Kovacs, Daniel Nyström, and Mats Utas. Electoral violence in Africa (Nordiska: Afrikainstitutet, 2012).45 Liisa Laakso, “Insights into electoral violence in Africa,” in Votes, Money and Violence: Political Parties and Elections in Sub-Saharan Africa, eds. M. Basedau, G. Erdmann, & A. Mehler (Helsinki: Nordic African Institute, 2007), 224-52.46 Dorina A Bekoe and Stephanie M. Burchard, “The contradictions of pre-election violence: The effects of violence on voter turnout in sub-Saharan Africa”, African Studies Review 60, no. 2 (2017): 73-92.47 P. Norris, and AA van Es, Checkbook Elections?: Political Finance in Comparative Perspective, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016). Ndulo, Muna. “Constitutions and Constitutional Reforms”.48 Ndulo, Muna. “Constitutions and Constitutional Reforms”.49 IDEA, Electoral Justice Hand Book: An Overview of the International IDEA Handbook (Stockholm: IDEA, 2016), 5.50 IDEA, “Electoral Justice”.51 IDEA, “Electoral Justice”.52 IDEA, “Electoral Justice”, 8.53 John Mukum Mbaku, “Constitutional discourse and the development of structures for sustainable development in Africa”, Journal for Studies in Economics and Econometrics 22, no. 1 (1998): 1-36.54 Joseph Geng Akech, “Dilemmas of Constitution Building in Post-Conflict South Sudan” IACL-AIDC (blog) 13 September, 2021, https://blog-iacl-aidc.org/spotlight-on-africa/2021/9/13/dilemmas-of-constitution-building-in-post-conflict-south-sudan.Additional informationNotes on contributorsOagile Bethuel Key DingakeHonourable Justice Professor Oagile Bethuel Key Dingake is a Justice of the National & Supreme Courts of Papua New Guinea and the Residual Special Court of Sierra Leone.