Elections have emerged as one of the most important, and most contentious, features of political life on the African continent. In the first half of this decade, there were more than 20 national elections, serving largely as capstones of peace processes or transitions to democracies. The outcomes of these and more recent elections have been remarkably varied, and the relationship between elections and conflict management is widely debated throughout Africa and among international observers. Elections can either help reduce tensions by reconstituting legitimate government, or they can exacerbate them by further polarizing highly conflictual societies. This timely volume examines the relationship between elections, especially electoral systems, and conflict management in Africa, while also serving as an important reference for other regions. The book brings together for the first time the latest thinking on the many different roles elections can play in democratization and conflict management.

Multiparty elections have become the bellwether by which all democracies are judged, and the spread of these systems across Africa has been widely hailed as a sign of the continent’s progress towards stability and prosperity. But such elections bring their own challenges, particularly the often intense internecine violence following disputed results. While the consequences of such violence can be profound, undermining the legitimacy of the democratic process and in some cases plunging countries into civil war or renewed dictatorship, little is known about the causes. By mapping, analysing and comparing instances of election violence in different localities across Africa – including Kenya, Ivory Coast and Uganda – this collection of detailed case studies sheds light on the underlying dynamics and sub-national causes behind electoral conflicts, revealing them to be the result of a complex interplay between democratisation and the older, patronage-based system of ‘Big Man’ politics. Essential for scholars and policymakers across the social sciences and humanities interested in democratization, peace-keeping and peace studies, Violence in African Elections provides important insights into why some communities prove more prone to electoral violence than others, offering practical suggestions for preventing violence through improved electoral monitoring, voter education, and international assistance.

A new political history of the former British colony in West Africa, best known for its diamonds and recent violent civil war, this covers 225 years of history and fills a gap in African studies.

Sierra Leona is unique among African states in the extent of its commitment to competition between individuals and parties for political office. Until 1967 it maintained a political system marked by vigorous competition between parties and by numerous opportunities for the expression of diverse and discordant views, despite the fact that the pressures working against "open" politics were no less severe than those found in neighbouring states. The dominant group in Sierra Leone politics from the start of decolonization in 1947 until the military coup of 1967 was the Sierra Leone Peoples Party, a loose coalition based on the common interests of the traditional rulers and the emerging bourgeoisie. Under the first Prime Minister, Sir Milton Margai, this coalition maintained itself against electoral challenges by absorbing leaders of the opposition. However, growing dissatisfaction with the dominant Mende tribe and class discontent with the traditional rulers gradually eroded the position of these groups. In 1967 Sierra Leone passed the critical test of a competitive political system when the opposition party, the All Peoples Congress, defeated the SLPP and was called upon to form a government. This was the first time an opposition party in an independent tropical African state had come to power through the ballot box. Although the peaceful transfer of power was rudely shattered by a military coup, Sierra Leone had already demonstrated how firmly a competitive pattern of politics had been established, and just over a year later, an uprising of enlisted men against their officers restored the lawfully elected government, setting Sierra Leone once again on the path of a peaceful competition under constitutional rules. In this thorough and well-documented study Dr Cartwright explains how Sierra Leone maintained this pattern of political competition. He concludes that the traditionally oriented political leadership was able to maintain its position because of the relatively slow rate of social change outside the political sphere, and because of its own ability to adapt traditional patterns of behaviour to its new needs. He suggests that this traditional orientation played an important role in moderating the use of power by the new leaders and in making their position legitimate in the eyes of the people. Although primarily aimed at political scientists, and particularly those with an interest in African politics, this study is also important to scholars in related disciplines who are interested in the social structures and forces that bear on political activity. Written in a simple, direct style, it can be read and appreciated by anyone who wishes an account of what happened in the politics of one of the most interesting of the English-speaking African states.

Building trust and professionalism in the management of electoral processes remains a major challenge for Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs), institutions and/or bodies responsible for managing elections. The 'credibility gap' - the diminished public confidence in the integrity and diligence for many electoral institutions and their activities - is a common problem for EMBs around the world. Many EMBs face basic design questions as they seek to work better: how should EMBs be structured to ensure that they can act independently? How do EMBs relate to stakeholders such as the media, political parties and donors? How can EMBs evaluate their performance and use experience to build sustainable elections? "The Electoral Management Design Handbook" is written for electoral administrators, electoral administration designers and other practitioners involved in building professional, sustainable and cost-effective electoral administrations which can deliver legitimate and credible free and fair elections. It is a comparative study that shares best practices and know-how from around the world on financing, structuring and evaluation of Electoral Management Bodies