Publication date
23/05/2016

Book size
170 x 244 mm

Language
English

ISBN
978-1-920489-16-8

Election Management Bodies in West Africa: A comparative study of the contribution of electoral commissions to the strengthening of democracy

By Ismaila Madior Fall, Mathias Hounkpe, Adele L. Jinadu, Pascal Kambale

This report is an in-depth study of electoral commissions in six countries of West Africa – Benin, Cape Verde, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone – assessing their contribution in strengthening political participation in the region. As institutions that apply the rules governing elections, electoral management bodies (EMBs) have occupied, over the last two decades, the heart of discussion and practice on the critical question of effective citizen participation in the public affairs of their countries. The way in which they are established and the effectiveness of their operations have continued to preoccupy those who advocate for competitive elections, while reforms to the EMBs have taken centre stage in more general political reforms. Election Management Bodies in West Africa thus responds to the evident need for more knowledge about an institution that occupies a more and more important place in the political process in West Africa. Based on documentary research and detailed interviews in each country, the study provides a comparative analysis which highlights the similarities and differences in the structure and operations of each body, and attempts to establish the reasons for their comparative successes and failures.

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Table of contents

Preface

1 Overview: The contribution of electoral management bodies to credible elections in West Africa Pascal Kambale

A. Introduction

B. Colonial legacy

C. Elections and constitutional reforms

D. Membership of EMBs and appointment of Electoral Commissioners

E. Independence and eﬀectiveness

F. Common challenges to electoral management

G. Conclusion

H. Recommendations

2 Benin – Mathias Hounkpe

A. Summary

B. Historical background

C. The Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA)

D. Funding of elections in Benin

E. Electoral disputes in Benin

F. Critical assessment of the CENA’s performance

G. Recommendations

3 Cape Verde – Ismaila Madior Fall

A. Summary

B. Constitutional development, party politics and electoral history

C. Election management bodies: Legal and institutional frameworks, powers and independence

D. Funding of elections in Cape Verde

E. Electoral disputes in Cape Verde

F. A critical assessment of the performance of EMBs in Cape Verde

G. Recommendations

4 Ghana – Mathias Hounkpe

A. Summary

B. The political development of Ghana

C. The Electoral Commission (EC)

D. Funding of elections in Ghana

E. Electoral disputes in Ghana

F. Critical evaluation of EC performance

G. Recommendations

5 Nigeria – Adele Jinadu

A. Summary

B. Constitutional development, party politics and electoral history

C. Nigeria’s electoral management body: History, structure and independence

D. Funding of elections in Nigeria

E. Electoral disputes in Nigeria

F. Assessment of electoral governance and process in Nigeria

G. Post-1999 debate on electoral governance in Nigeria

H. Recommendations

6 Senegal – Ismaila Madior Fall

A. Summary

B. Constitutional change, party politics and electoral history

C. Status, powers and functioning of EMBs

D. Funding of elections in Senegal

E. Electoral disputes in Senegal

F. A critical assessment of electoral governance in Senegal

G. Recommendations

7 Sierra Leone – Adele Jinadu

A. Summary

B. Historical context

C. Institutional structures

D. Funding of elections in Sierra Leone

E. Electoral disputes in Sierra Leone

F. A critical assessment of electoral governance in Sierra Leone

G. Recommendations

About the authors

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