Upcoming Elections
In addition to the elections below, we’re watching:
Chad legislative and local (president has said they they will happen in the first half of 2019, but they have already been delayed several times and could be delayed again); Guinea legislative (was supposed to happen this month, but now looks more likely to happen in March, and even that could be delayed); Guinea-Bissau legislative (set for March 10 after many delays); Comoros, snap presidential and regional (March 24), Guinea-Bissau presidential (April), Mali legislative (scheduled for April), Malawi tripartite – local, legislative, presidential (May 21); Mauritania general (mid-2019); Botswana parliamentary (October); Cameroon parliamentary (October); Mozambique presidential, legislative, local (October 15); Namibia presidential and legislative (November); and Somalia regional presidential elections (throughout the year).
Nigeria General – February 16, 2019
DW reports: “This time next month Nigerians will be heading to the polls to vote in the general election. It looks likely to be a tight race between incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). A record 84,004,084 people have registered to vote — an increase of 18 percent from the 2015 election. With no opinion polls published indicating clear support for any particular candidate, it’s difficult to accurately predict the outcome. Observers are already branding it one of the closest political races in the country’s history.”
Senegal Presidential – February 24, 2019
Reuters reports: “Senegal’s two best known opposition figures have been barred from running in presidential elections next month, the Constitutional Council said on Monday, increasing President Macky Sall’s chances of securing a second term in office.”
Madagascar Legislative – March 2019
Radio France Internationale looks at Madagascar’s upcoming legislative elections.
South Africa General – May 30, 2019
The ruling ANC has kicked off its general election campaign. Al Jazeera reports: “South Africa‘s President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed to create more jobs, boost economic growth and address racial inequalities as he launched the ruling party’s parliamentary election campaign. [The election] will be a test of whether Ramaphosa has been able to reverse a decline in support for the ANC, which has governed since the end of apartheid in 1994 but has seen its majority wane.”
Somalia, Somaliland General – November 2019
Somalilandsun reports: “The ruling Kulmiye political party and the opposition one of UCID have released a joint communiqué that announced their agreement to have the expected 19 March 2019 general elections to be held by November of this year.”
Sudan General – 2020
Protests continue in Sudan. President Omar al-Bashir has rejected calls to step down.
Past Elections
Democratic Republic of the Congo – December 30, 2018
Robbie Corey-Boulet in World Politics Review: “Kabila Is Finally Departing, but Congo’s Future Is as Uncertain as Ever.”
Pomona College professor Pierre Englebert examines Congo’s implausible results. He notes that it is highly unlikely that declared winner Felix Tshisekedi won a fair election unless turnout was sky-high in his strongholds and rock-bottom in the strongholds of Martin Fayulu, the opposition candidate widely believed to be the real winner. Englebert concludes that the regime calculated that its candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, was so unpopular that they could not engineer a Shadary victory, so they co-opted Tshisekedi.
African leaders have called for a recount.
Madagascar Presidential – December 2018
Bloomberg reports: “Madagascar’s presidential election loser Marc Ravalomanana accepted a Constitutional Court ruling that proclaimed rival Andry Rajoelina winner of the ballot, a surprise turnaround after days of protests by his supporters.”
Gabon Legislative – October 2018 and Presidential – 2016
Morehouse College professor Oumar Ba analyzes Gabon’s recent coup attempt and how it fits in with the deepening political crisis.
Zimbabwe General – July 30, 2018
Zimbabweans have taken to the streets to protest a fuel price hike. The demonstrations have led to 200 arrests and several deaths. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation notes: “The ruling Zanu-PF Party, led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has been unable to reverse the country’s economic collapse since it won elections in August last year. The polls were controversial, with widespread accusations of vote-rigging. The latest violence echoes post-election clashes in August, which saw six people killed when troops opened fire on protesters in Harare.”
The headquarters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change was set on fire. MDC officials said the regime set the blaze: “This brutal cowardice is a throwback to the Mugabe regime tactics of intimidation, torture and violence as a response to serial failure to address legitimate concerns of Zimbabweans.”
Voting during Nigeria’s 2015 elections. Photo credit: Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
21votes does not necessarily endorse all of the views in all of the linked articles or publications.
Africa This Week – January 13, 2019
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Last Updated: January 29, 2019 by 21votes
January 14, 2019
Each day, 21votes gathers election and political news from a different region of the world. We explore Africa on Mondays. Click the map pins.
Nigeria General - February 16, 2019
DW reports: “This time next month Nigerians will be heading to the polls to vote in the general election. It looks likely to be a tight race between incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). A record 84,004,084 people have registered to vote — an increase of 18 percent from the 2015 election. With no opinion polls published indicating clear support for any particular candidate, it’s difficult to accurately predict the outcome. Observers are already branding it one of the closest political races in the country’s history
Senegal Presidential - February 24, 2019
Reuters reports: “Senegal’s two best known opposition figures have been barred from running in presidential elections next month, the Constitutional Council said on Monday, increasing President Macky Sall’s chances of securing a second term in office.”
Madagascar Legislative - March 2019
Radio France Internationale looks at Madagascar’s upcoming legislative elections.
South Africa General - May 30, 2019
The ruling ANC has kicked off its general election campaign. Al Jazeera reports: “South Africa‘s President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed to create more jobs, boost economic growth and address racial inequalities as he launched the ruling party’s parliamentary election campaign.
[The election] will be a test of whether Ramaphosa has been able to reverse a decline in support for the ANC, which has governed since the end of apartheid in 1994 but has seen its majority wane.”
Somalia, Somaliland General - November 2019
Somalilandsun reports: “The ruling Kulmiye political party and the opposition one of UCID have released a joint communiqué that announced their agreement to have the expected 19 March 2019 general elections to be held by November of this year.”
Sudan General - 2020
Protests continue in Sudan. President Omar al-Bashir has rejected calls to step down.
Democratic Republic of the Congo - December 30, 2018
Robbie Corey-Boulet in World Politics Review: “Kabila Is Finally Departing, but Congo’s Future Is as Uncertain as Ever.”
Pomona College professor Pierre Englebert examines Congo’s implausible results. He notes that it is highly unlikely that declared winner Felix Tshisekedi won a fair election unless turnout was sky-high in his strongholds and rock-bottom in the strongholds of Martin Fayulu, the opposition candidate widely believed to be the real winner. Englebert concludes that the regime calculated that its candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, was so unpopular that they could not engineer a Shadary victory, so they co-opted Tshisekedi.
African leaders have called for a recount.
Madagascar Presidential - December 2018
Bloomberg reports: “Madagascar’s presidential election loser Marc Ravalomanana accepted a Constitutional Court ruling that proclaimed rival Andry Rajoelina winner of the ballot, a surprise turnaround after days of protests by his supporters.”
Gabon Legislative - October 2018 and Presidential - 2016
Morehouse College professor Oumar Ba analyzes Gabon’s recent coup attempt and how it fits in with the deepening political crisis.
Zimbabwe General - July 30, 2018
Zimbabweans have taken to the streets to protest a fuel price hike. The demonstrations have led to 200 arrests and several deaths. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation notes: “The ruling Zanu-PF Party, led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has been unable to reverse the country’s economic collapse since it won elections in August last year. The polls were controversial, with widespread accusations of vote-rigging. The latest violence echoes post-election clashes in August, which saw six people killed when troops opened fire on protesters in Harare.”
Upcoming Elections
In addition to the elections below, we’re watching:
Chad legislative and local (president has said they they will happen in the first half of 2019, but they have already been delayed several times and could be delayed again); Guinea legislative (was supposed to happen this month, but now looks more likely to happen in March, and even that could be delayed); Guinea-Bissau legislative (set for March 10 after many delays); Comoros, snap presidential and regional (March 24), Guinea-Bissau presidential (April), Mali legislative (scheduled for April), Malawi tripartite – local, legislative, presidential (May 21); Mauritania general (mid-2019); Botswana parliamentary (October); Cameroon parliamentary (October); Mozambique presidential, legislative, local (October 15); Namibia presidential and legislative (November); and Somalia regional presidential elections (throughout the year).
Nigeria General – February 16, 2019
DW reports: “This time next month Nigerians will be heading to the polls to vote in the general election. It looks likely to be a tight race between incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). A record 84,004,084 people have registered to vote — an increase of 18 percent from the 2015 election. With no opinion polls published indicating clear support for any particular candidate, it’s difficult to accurately predict the outcome. Observers are already branding it one of the closest political races in the country’s history.”
Senegal Presidential – February 24, 2019
Reuters reports: “Senegal’s two best known opposition figures have been barred from running in presidential elections next month, the Constitutional Council said on Monday, increasing President Macky Sall’s chances of securing a second term in office.”
Madagascar Legislative – March 2019
Radio France Internationale looks at Madagascar’s upcoming legislative elections.
South Africa General – May 30, 2019
The ruling ANC has kicked off its general election campaign. Al Jazeera reports: “South Africa‘s President Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed to create more jobs, boost economic growth and address racial inequalities as he launched the ruling party’s parliamentary election campaign. [The election] will be a test of whether Ramaphosa has been able to reverse a decline in support for the ANC, which has governed since the end of apartheid in 1994 but has seen its majority wane.”
Somalia, Somaliland General – November 2019
Somalilandsun reports: “The ruling Kulmiye political party and the opposition one of UCID have released a joint communiqué that announced their agreement to have the expected 19 March 2019 general elections to be held by November of this year.”
Sudan General – 2020
Protests continue in Sudan. President Omar al-Bashir has rejected calls to step down.
Past Elections
Democratic Republic of the Congo – December 30, 2018
Robbie Corey-Boulet in World Politics Review: “Kabila Is Finally Departing, but Congo’s Future Is as Uncertain as Ever.”
Pomona College professor Pierre Englebert examines Congo’s implausible results. He notes that it is highly unlikely that declared winner Felix Tshisekedi won a fair election unless turnout was sky-high in his strongholds and rock-bottom in the strongholds of Martin Fayulu, the opposition candidate widely believed to be the real winner. Englebert concludes that the regime calculated that its candidate, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, was so unpopular that they could not engineer a Shadary victory, so they co-opted Tshisekedi.
African leaders have called for a recount.
Madagascar Presidential – December 2018
Bloomberg reports: “Madagascar’s presidential election loser Marc Ravalomanana accepted a Constitutional Court ruling that proclaimed rival Andry Rajoelina winner of the ballot, a surprise turnaround after days of protests by his supporters.”
Gabon Legislative – October 2018 and Presidential – 2016
Morehouse College professor Oumar Ba analyzes Gabon’s recent coup attempt and how it fits in with the deepening political crisis.
Zimbabwe General – July 30, 2018
Zimbabweans have taken to the streets to protest a fuel price hike. The demonstrations have led to 200 arrests and several deaths. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation notes: “The ruling Zanu-PF Party, led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, has been unable to reverse the country’s economic collapse since it won elections in August last year. The polls were controversial, with widespread accusations of vote-rigging. The latest violence echoes post-election clashes in August, which saw six people killed when troops opened fire on protesters in Harare.”
The headquarters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change was set on fire. MDC officials said the regime set the blaze: “This brutal cowardice is a throwback to the Mugabe regime tactics of intimidation, torture and violence as a response to serial failure to address legitimate concerns of Zimbabweans.”
21votes does not necessarily endorse all of the views in all of the linked articles or publications.
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Category: This Week Tags: Democratic Republic of the Congo, DRC, Gabon, Madagascar, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Zimbabwe