By Matthew Chan-Piu
It is often argued that elections are the backbone of a democracy, a time when citizens can exercise both a right and, subsequently, a privilege offered to the masses by the system put in place.
Multiparty elections have become more common in Africa since the 1990s, following a wave of democratisation across the continent. According to the African Union, there were over 70 elections held in Africa between 2015 and 2022.
Despite this increase in elections, the quality of democracy has remained a question seldom answered without a bitter pill.
Several countries are gearing up to hold crucial elections that will impact the continent's political landscape.
The elections scheduled to take place in 2023 have the potential to shape the future of these countries and, consequently, the African continent as a whole.
Elections are typically organised by independent electoral commissions, with international observers monitoring the process to ensure they are free, fair, and transparent.
African nations often face various challenges during this time, including political violence, electoral fraud, voter suppression, and ethnic tensions.
Nonetheless, many African countries continue to make progress in improving their electoral processes and promoting democracy.
Elections in 2023
This year, several African countries will hold presidential elections that will shape their future and impact regional and global relations. Domestic and International observers will closely watch some of these elections for their implications for democracy, peace, and development.
Africa's most populous country, Nigeria, has already held its general election on February 25.
A record of eighteen candidates contested for the presidency, while voters cast ballots for senators and members of the House of Representatives. The election was crucial for Nigeria's democracy, security, and development.
The elections have dispelled several long-held myths about Nigeria regarding their outcome. Not only were the elections mostly deemed free and fair, but they also crossed barriers concerning creed and faith.
The presidential election winner was Bola Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos State and nominee of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Attention now turns to the rest of the continent.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on December 20, 2023, according to the electoral calendar released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) on December 20, 2022.
The current president of the DRC is Felix Tshisekedi, who took office in January 2019 after winning the December 2018 election with 38% of the vote.
His party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), won out of 500 seats in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament.
The majority of seats went to the Common Front. The main opposition party in the DRC is Lamuka, a coalition formed by four presidential candidates who rejected the 2018 election results and accused Tshisekedi of striking a deal with Kabila to secure his victory. This coalition did not last long.
The DRC has had a history of political violence and instability since its independence from Belgium in 1960.
The DRC has struggled to hold free and fair elections since transitioning to democracy in 2006.
The first democratic elections in 2006 were marred by violence, fraud, and logistical challenges but resulted in Kabila's victory over Jean-Pierre Bemba.
The second round of elections in 2011 was widely criticised for lacking credibility, transparency, and security.
With the development of Jean-Pierre Bemba appointed as Defence Minister, the environment might see a change.
As the last elections scheduled for the end of 2023 approach, the continent will watch in hopes and anticipation of a new dawn of free and fair elections in the DRC.
Gabon
Gabon's president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, took office in October 2009 after winning the August 2009 election with 42% of the vote.
He succeeded his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, who ruled Gabon for 42 years until his death in June 2009.
His party, the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), won 98 out of 120 seats in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, in the October 2018 election.
According to his tally, the main opposition party is the Coalition for the New Republic (CNR), led by Jean Ping, who claims he won the 2016 presidential election with 50.3% of the vote.
Ping has refused to recognise Bongo's victory and has called for a political transition.
Gabon has had political stability and continuity of history since its independence from France in 1960. It has experienced only two coup attempts, in 1964 and 2019, both of which failed.
It has also maintained close ties with France, which provides military and economic assistance.
The political future of Gabon depends on how the government and the opposition will manage their relations and cooperate on critical issues affecting the country.
In January 2019, Bongo returned to Gabon after spending three months in Morocco for medical treatment following a stroke he suffered in October 2018.
His health has raised questions about his ability to govern and succession plans.
The opposition has called for a national dialogue to resolve the political crisis and reform the electoral system, but the government has rejected this demand.
The next presidential election is scheduled for sometime in October 2023. Hopefully, Gabon's relatively good history of political stability will continue after the elections.
Liberia
Liberia's president and former football superstar, George Weah, took office in January 2018 after winning the December 2017 runoff election with 61.5% of the vote.
His party, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), will be up against the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), an alliance of four parties:
- The UP
- The Liberty Party (LP)
- The Alternative National Congress (ANC)
- The All-Liberian Party (ALP)
The CPP has been challenging Weah's legitimacy and performance and has called for electoral reforms and national dialogue.
Rattled by political instability and violence since its independence from the American Colonization Society in 1847.
It has experienced two civil wars, from 1989 to 1997 and 1999 to 2003, which killed about 250,000 people and displaced more than a million.
It also faced several coup attempts, most notably in 1980, when Samuel Doe overthrew and killed William Tolbert, ending the rule of the dominant elite in the country.
In December 2020, Weah survived a referendum on constitutional amendments that would have reduced presidential terms from six to five years but also allowed him to run for a third term.
The referendum was boycotted by the opposition and civil society groups, who claimed it was illegal and fraudulent.
The next presidential election is due this year in October. It is expected to be one of anxiety and high tension reasons across Liberia.
Libya
Libya's Mohamed al-Menfi took office in March 2021 as the president of the Presidential Council, a three-member body representing Libya's three regions: Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan.
He was elected by the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), a 75-member body that the UN formed in November 2020 to facilitate a peaceful transition in Libya.
The current head of government is Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, who took office in March 2021 as the prime minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU).
This cabinet includes representatives from various political parties and factions.
Since its independence from Italy in 1951, Libya had experienced several coups, most notably in 1969 when Muammar Gaddafi overthrew King Idris and established a socialist rule lasting 42 years until he died in 2011 during a NATO-backed uprising.
Libya had held few democratic elections since 2011, when a transitional council took over after Gaddafi's fall.
The first election was held in 2012 for the GNC, which was supposed to draft a new constitution and have recent polls within 18 months.
However, the GNC failed to do so and extended its mandate, sparking protests. Soon international incitements gave way to clashes with rival militias.
The upcoming elections aim to unify Libya under a single executive authority. The UN is pushing for new elections in Libya, which still have an uncertain date.
Madagascar
Andry Rajoelina, the president of the Republic of Madagascar, won the 2018 presidential election with 55.66% of the vote against his rival Marc Ravalomanana, the president from 2002 to 2009.
Rajoelina was also president from 2009 to 2014 after leading a coup d’état against Ravalomanana with the support of the military.
He stepped down in 2014 to allow a transitional government to organise new elections, which were won by Hery Rajaonarimampianina, who was the president from 2014 to 2018.
The current head of government is Christian Ntsay, who took office in June 2018 as the prime minister of Madagascar after being appointed by Rajaonarimampianina following a court ruling that ordered a consensus government to end a political crisis sparked by controversial electoral laws.
Steeped in a history of political instability and violence since its independence from France in 1960, several coups, most notably in 1972, when Didier Ratsiraka overthrew Philibert Tsiranana and established a rule that lasted for 17 years until his defeat in the 1991 presidential election by Albert Zafy.
It remains to be seen if the presidential elections this year will create a new outcome free of violence.
Sierra Leone
The presidential election in Sierra Leone is scheduled to be held on June 24, 2023. The current president is Julius Maada Bio, who belongs to the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP).
His party has endorsed him for a second term. The main opposition party is the All-People's Congress (APC), which named Samura Kamara its candidate. Kamara was the runner-up in the last presidential election in 2018.
Sierra Leone has mainly suffered from political violence, especially during the civil war from 1991 to 2002.
Ethnic tensions, corruption, poverty, and competition over natural resources fueled the war.
The war ended with a peace agreement that the United Nations, the African Union, and other regional and international actors brokered.
Since then, Sierra Leone has made considerable progress in consolidating peace and democracy, but it still faces challenges such as human rights violations, weak governance, social inequalities, and economic instability.
The upcoming election is expected to be highly competitive and contentious between the SLPP and the APC.
The outcome will depend on factors such as voter turnout, the security situation, economic performance, public opinion polls, etc.
Somaliland
Somaliland's presidential election was initially scheduled for November 2021, but it has been postponed twice for several reasons, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, drought, financial constraints, and security concerns.
The upper house of parliament approved the latest postponement on October 1, 2022, extending the term of the incumbent president Muse Bihi Abdi by two years until July 2023.
This decision has been criticised by some opposition parties and civil society groups as unconstitutional and undemocratic.
The current president, Muse Bihi Abdi, belongs to the ruling party Kulmiye (Peace, Unity, and Development Party), which has been in power since 2010.
He won the 2017 presidential election with 55% of the votes against two primary challengers: Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro from Waddani (the National Party) and Faysal Ali Warabe from UCID (the Justice and Welfare Party).
The 2017 election was widely praised as peaceful, transparent, and credible by international observers.
However, it faced some challenges, such as delays, disputes, violence, and technical issues.
Political violence dates back to its struggle for independence from Somalia. It has also faced internal conflicts among clans and regions over power sharing and resources.
Some of these conflicts have resulted in armed clashes and human rights violations.
However, Somaliland has also made considerable progress in building peace and stability through dialogue and reconciliation.
It has held several democratic elections since 2002 that have been relatively peaceful and competitive.
Zimbabwe
The upcoming presidential elections in Zimbabwe will be the second since Emmerson Mnangagwa took power from former authoritarian leader Robert Mugabe in a 2017 military coup.
Mnangagwa is the current president and leader of the ruling party Zanu PF, which has been in power since 1980.
The main opposition party is the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance, led by Nelson Chamisa, who narrowly lost to Mnangagwa in the 2018 elections.
Chamisa has recently formed a new party called Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC), which has won 19 out of 28 seats in the recent by-elections.
Other opposition parties include the Forum Party of Zimbabwe (FPZ), led by former Chief Justice Enoch Dumbutshena, and the United Parties, led by former Zimbabwe Rhodesia Prime Minister Abel Muzorewa.
Violence, allegations of intimidation and fraud also marred the 2018 elections. Since independence, the peaceful transfer of power has been a delicate issue in the country. Can we finally see a peaceful election in Zimbabwe this year?
These elections across Africa are critical for these countries' political stability, economic growth, and social cohesion, as well as for Africa's regional and global role.
The democratic process behind them may define how the outcome, reactions and overall regional alliances may stand.
