Kenya and Zimbabwe: issues of democracy, electoral violence and civil participation
Date
2010-07-28T12:31:55Z
Authors
Mathebula, Duduzile
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
Democracy can be a useful tool in Africa. It can open channels for foreign aid
and ultimately development. Many African countries have struggled with the
changes and expectations that democracy brings. They have opted for
authoritarian regimes or one party state regime. Zimbabwe and Kenya represent
some of these countries. Such countries have been unable to promote or
perfectly place liberal democracy within their societies. The most salient issue in
the democratization process of Africa has been the post colonial state.
Transitions into democracy have not always gone well at all in fact many
transitions remain stagnant.
This research investigates the problems surrounding the attainment of
democracy in Africa, using the cases of Kenya and Zimbabwe. It seeks to
understand the obstacles and challenges to the democratization processes in the
two countries by focusing on the 2007/2008 contested elections as well as
previous elections, and the attempts by external actors to deal with the results of
the elections.
The citizens of Kenya and Zimbabwe have both been affected and impacted by
the lack of democracy that has existed in each country. This research also
investigates the role of citizen participation in the electoral process. For both
countries to succeed in all regards there is a pressing need for regime change
and institution building.
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Keywords
democracy, elections, civil participation, electoral violence, Kenya, Zimbabwe