October 4, 2021
A weekly review of news and analysis of elections in Africa, usually posted on Mondays and occasionally updated throughout the week. For a full electoral calendar and interactive map, click here.
A street in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, begins his second term amid multiple crises. Photo credit: Wikimedia/Sam Effron (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Upcoming Africa Elections
Cabo Verde Presidential Election: October 17, 2021
Cabo Verde, a stable democracy with regular elections and peaceful transfers of power, holds a presidential election on October 17, 2021, following parliamentary elections that took place on April 18, 2021. The incumbent center-right MpD won, defeating the socialist PAICV (which had run Cabo Verde as a one-party state until 1990, but MpD won a historic victory in 2016).
Cabo Verde’s strategic location in the Atlantic has made it the site of increasing geopolitical competition between the U.S., NATO, and the EU on one hand and China on the other. While PAICV advocates strong links with Beijing, and has a party-to-party relationship with the Chinese Communist Party, current PM Ulisses Correia e Silva from MpD advocates stronger links with NATO and the West. More
Eugene Teixeira, Voice of America (September 30, 2021 – in Portuguese): Presidents in Cape Verde: Carlos Veiga and José Maria Neves show their credentials
RFI (September 30, 2021 – in Portuguese): The campaign for presidential in Cape Verde has begun
South Africa Local Elections: October 27, 2021
South Africa will hold local elections on October 27, 2021, although some have called for delays due to COVID-19. Voters will elect councils for all municipalities in each of the country’s nine provinces. These are taking place in the context of unrest following the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma for corruption. More
The Economist (October 2, 2021): South Africa’s main opposition sees coalitions ahead: Will a weakening ruling party team up with liberals or the thuggish far left?
Reuters (October 1, 2021): S.African president Ramaphosa eases COVID-19 restrictions to lowest level
Africanews/AFP (September 28, 2021): ‘We will do better’: South Africa’s ruling ANC launches manifesto before local elections
Nigeria, Anambra State Gubernatorial Election: November 6, 2021, followed by several state elections in 2022, and general elections in 2023 (and preceded by local elections in various states)
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, holds general elections in February 2023, but some states are due to hold elections before that.
In addition, potential 2023 candidates have already begun jockeying for position. Since the return to civilian rule, vote-rigging and violence have plagued elections. While the 2015 polls – which handed the opposition its first-ever victory – were considered credible, international and Nigerian observers found that the 2019 polls fell short. The country is in the midst of several security crises.
William Clowes, Bloomberg (October 1, 2021): Nigerian Opposition Hints It Wants Southerner as Next President
Anita Patrick and Stephanie Busari, CNN (October 1, 2021): Twitter says it is ‘continuing to engage’ with the Nigerian government as they discuss lifting ban
Chinedu Asadu, AP (September 30, 2021): Dozens killed and abducted in Nigeria’s north
Gambia Presidential Election: December 4, 2021
Gambia is due to hold its first presidential election since it began its remarkable transition to democracy in 2016, when citizens removed dictator Yahya Jammeh – who had come to power in a coup and ruled for 22 years – peacefully, via the ballot box. In a surprising election result, opposition candidate Adama Barrow won the presidency with the backing of a coalition of seven opposition parties. However, the process of establishing democracy and recovering from Jammeh’s brutal dictatorship has not been easy.
In a shock move, Barrow announced an alliance with Jammeh ahead of December’s election. More
Isaac Kaledzi, DW (October 2, 2021): Gambia: The story of a Jammeh-era survivor
Sheriff Bojang Jr., World Politics Review (October 1, 2021): Barrow’s Alliance with Jammeh Deflates Gambians’ Hopes for Justice
Al Jazeera (September 30, 2021): The Gambia delays report on former longtime leader Jammeh
Mali Presidential and Legislative Elections: February 27, 2022 (following two coups)
Mali has set presidential and legislative elections for February 27, 2022, following the August 2020 coup. In the coup, soldiers removed President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, dissolved parliament (which had just been elected in April, in elections marred by fraud and intimidation) and established a transitional government. Before that, there will be a constitutional referendum on October 31, 2021 and local and regional elections on December 26.
On May 25, Mali had another coup, but leaders have stated that the elections will remain on the calendar for 2022. However, the situation remains fluid.
Moses Rono, BBC (October 2, 2021): Mali’s plan for Russia mercenaries to replace French troops unsettles Sahel
Al Jazeera (September 29, 2021): Mali receives helicopters and weapons from Russia
David Rich, France24 (September 29, 2021): Mali junta’s sovereignty push arouses hope, fear amid troubled anti-jihadist struggle
RFI (September 28, 2021): France rejects Mali ‘abandonment’ claim, insists election timetable be respected
Roger Boyes, Times of London (September 28, 2021): Mercenaries tighten Putin’s grip in Africa
Jeff Seldin, Voice of America (September 28, 2021): Mali Seeking ‘Better Ways’ to Contain Terrorism
Reuters (September 28, 2021): Mali could delay post-coup elections, interim PM says
Kenya General Elections: August 9, 2022
Kenya is due to hold general elections on August 9, 2022. The last elections, in August 2017, were disputed, and the presidential poll was re-run in October 2017. President Uhuru Kenyatta won re-election after opposition leader Raila Odinga encouraged his supporters to boycott the re-run. Kenyan politics is highly polarized with a strong ethnic component.
Dr Westen K Shilaho, The Conversation (September 28, 2021): Kenya’s next election is in view: the struggle between elites and rule of law is intensifying
Chad Elections: By December 2022 (tentative, post-coup)
Chad held a presidential election on April 11, 2021. President Idriss Déby, seized power in a rebellion in 1990, won a sixth term. However, on April 20, he was killed by rebels.
Although the country holds elections, there has never been a change in power by a free or fair vote. Long-delayed long-delayed parliamentary elections had been set for October 24, 2021 and local elections for April 2022. Originally due in 2015, the legislative elections have been delayed multiple times. However, Deby’s death could lead to further delays – the military has said it plans to rule the country for 18 months. More
Reuters (October 2, 2021): One policeman killed, at least ten civilians wounded in Chad opposition protest
Trevor Filseth, National Interest (September 28, 2021): Chad Interim Parliament Announced: Opposition Leaders Excluded
Zimbabwe General Elections: July 2023 (due)
Zimbabwe is due to hold elections in 2023. These will be the second since the 2017 coup that led to the fall of Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s longtime dictator, who left a legacy of gross economic mismanagement and political repression. However, democracy continues to face many challenges in Zimbabwe.
Gibbs Dube, Voice of America (October 1, 2021): Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Says MDC Alliance Not Barred from Attending Stakeholders Meetings
AFP (October 1, 2021): 19 arrested at Zimbabwe pre-election protest
Guinea Elections: TBD, following coup
On September 5, 2021, Guinea’s president, Alpha Condé, fell in a military coup. Guinea’s political future remains uncertain, but regional and international bodies, as well as Guinean civil society and political groups, have urged elections.
Condé was re-elected in October 2020 amid violence. He sought and won a controversial third term, and for the third time, faced off against opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo. Both candidates claimed they won, but election officials declared Condé the winner. However, Diallo is challenged the results, alleging fraud and prompting street protests leading to at least 10 deaths. The government arrested a number of opposition members following the election. More
Marième Soumaré, The Africa Report (October 4, 2021): Army reform in Guinea: Will Mamady Doumbouya succeed where Alpha Condé failed?
BBC (October 1, 2021): Mamady Doumbouya: Guinea coup leader sworn in as president
Saliou Samb, Reuters (September 28, 2021): Guinea junta bars its members from running in next elections
Boubacar Diallo and Carley Petesch, AP (September 28, 2201): Guinea’s junta releases transition charter toward elections
Past Africa Elections
Ethiopia Partial Elections: September 30, 2021, preceded by General Elections: June 21, 2021
Ethiopia held general elections on June 21, 2021, after several postponements. These elections took place in the context of increasing ethnic violence that has reached crisis levels. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, previously a reformer (he even won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2019) but most recently an authoritarian, won in a landslide. Polling couldn’t happen in several areas due to the ongoing conflict, so make-up votes took place on September 30, amid opposition boycotts. Nonetheless, Abiy already had enough seats to form a new government regardless of the results of the September elections.
AP (October 4, 2021): Ethiopian PM begins 2nd term saying war exacts ‘heavy price’
Bileh Jelan and Siyanne Mekonnen, Addis Standard (October 4, 2021): Analysis : As it reckons with multi-layered crises, Ethiopia forms new government in the absence of Tigray, incomplete electoral process
Bethlehem Feleke and Eliza Mackintosh, CNN (October 1, 2021): Ethiopia to expel UN officials amid fears of Tigray famine
AFP (September 30, 2021): Ethiopia to expel seven senior UN staff for ‘meddling’
France24 (September 30, 2021 – video): Ethiopia elections: Somali region holds vote after 3-month delay
Georja Calvin-Smith and Laura Di Blasio, France24 (September 29, 2021 – video): Opposition parties pull out of Ethiopia’s elections
Maria Gerth-Niculescu, DW (September 28, 2021): Ethiopia: War and optimism collide as Abiy Ahmed prepares to form a new government
Benin Presidential Election: April 11, 2021
Benin held a presidential election on April 11, 2021. Incumbent Patrice Talon won a second term after largely keeping the opposition off the ballot. Previously a model democracy in the region, Benin has seen democratic decline since Talon’s election in 2016. More
Virgile Dénakpo, African Arguments (September 29, 2021): The jailed candidate: What Madougou’s case tells us about Benin
Regional Analysis
Chris Olaoluwa Ogunmodede, World Politics Review (September 30, 2021): ‘Stability’ Without Democratic Values Has Failed in West Africa
Africa Elections Coming Up in 2021 and 2022
Nigeria: Local Elections in Nasarawa State: October 6, 2021
Nigeria: Local Elections in Plateau State: October 9, 2021
Cabo Verde Presidential Election: October 17, 2021
Somalia, Direct Local Elections in Puntland: October 25, 2021
South Africa Local Elections: October 27, 2021
Nigeria, Anambra State Gubernatorial Election: November 6, 2021
Gambia Presidential Election: December 4, 2021
Angola Local Elections: Overdue, might possibly happen in 2021
Senegal Local Elections: January 23, 2021
Somalia Indirect Presidential and Legislative Elections: February 8, 2022 (Tentative, following numerous delays – additional delays possible)
Mali Presidential and Legislative Elections: February 27, 2022 (following coup – delays possible)
Gambia Parliamentary Elections: April 2022 (due)
Burkina Faso Local Elections: May 2022 (due)
Lesotho Parliamentary Elections: June 2022 (due)
Republic of Congo Legislative Elections: July 2022 (due)
Senegal Legislative Elections: July 2022 (due)
Kenya Presidential and Legislative Elections: August 9, 2022
Angola Legislative Elections: August 2022 (due)
Sao Tome and Principe Parliamentary Elections: October 2022 (due)
Equatorial Guinea Parliamentary Elections: November 2022 (due)
21votes does not necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed in the linked articles; rather, our goal is to curate a wide range of voices. Furthermore, none of the individuals or organizations referenced have reviewed 21votes’ content. That is to say, their inclusion should not be taken to imply that they endorse us in any way. More on our approach here.
Related
Africa This Week: October 4, 2021
Leave a Comment
Last Updated: October 20, 2021 by 21votes
October 4, 2021
A weekly review of news and analysis of elections in Africa, usually posted on Mondays and occasionally updated throughout the week. For a full electoral calendar and interactive map, click here.
Upcoming Africa Elections
Cabo Verde Presidential Election: October 17, 2021
Cabo Verde, a stable democracy with regular elections and peaceful transfers of power, holds a presidential election on October 17, 2021, following parliamentary elections that took place on April 18, 2021. The incumbent center-right MpD won, defeating the socialist PAICV (which had run Cabo Verde as a one-party state until 1990, but MpD won a historic victory in 2016).
Cabo Verde’s strategic location in the Atlantic has made it the site of increasing geopolitical competition between the U.S., NATO, and the EU on one hand and China on the other. While PAICV advocates strong links with Beijing, and has a party-to-party relationship with the Chinese Communist Party, current PM Ulisses Correia e Silva from MpD advocates stronger links with NATO and the West. More
Eugene Teixeira, Voice of America (September 30, 2021 – in Portuguese): Presidents in Cape Verde: Carlos Veiga and José Maria Neves show their credentials
RFI (September 30, 2021 – in Portuguese): The campaign for presidential in Cape Verde has begun
South Africa Local Elections: October 27, 2021
South Africa will hold local elections on October 27, 2021, although some have called for delays due to COVID-19. Voters will elect councils for all municipalities in each of the country’s nine provinces. These are taking place in the context of unrest following the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma for corruption. More
The Economist (October 2, 2021): South Africa’s main opposition sees coalitions ahead: Will a weakening ruling party team up with liberals or the thuggish far left?
Reuters (October 1, 2021): S.African president Ramaphosa eases COVID-19 restrictions to lowest level
Africanews/AFP (September 28, 2021): ‘We will do better’: South Africa’s ruling ANC launches manifesto before local elections
Nigeria, Anambra State Gubernatorial Election: November 6, 2021, followed by several state elections in 2022, and general elections in 2023 (and preceded by local elections in various states)
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, holds general elections in February 2023, but some states are due to hold elections before that.
In addition, potential 2023 candidates have already begun jockeying for position. Since the return to civilian rule, vote-rigging and violence have plagued elections. While the 2015 polls – which handed the opposition its first-ever victory – were considered credible, international and Nigerian observers found that the 2019 polls fell short. The country is in the midst of several security crises.
William Clowes, Bloomberg (October 1, 2021): Nigerian Opposition Hints It Wants Southerner as Next President
Anita Patrick and Stephanie Busari, CNN (October 1, 2021): Twitter says it is ‘continuing to engage’ with the Nigerian government as they discuss lifting ban
Chinedu Asadu, AP (September 30, 2021): Dozens killed and abducted in Nigeria’s north
Gambia Presidential Election: December 4, 2021
Gambia is due to hold its first presidential election since it began its remarkable transition to democracy in 2016, when citizens removed dictator Yahya Jammeh – who had come to power in a coup and ruled for 22 years – peacefully, via the ballot box. In a surprising election result, opposition candidate Adama Barrow won the presidency with the backing of a coalition of seven opposition parties. However, the process of establishing democracy and recovering from Jammeh’s brutal dictatorship has not been easy.
In a shock move, Barrow announced an alliance with Jammeh ahead of December’s election. More
Isaac Kaledzi, DW (October 2, 2021): Gambia: The story of a Jammeh-era survivor
Sheriff Bojang Jr., World Politics Review (October 1, 2021): Barrow’s Alliance with Jammeh Deflates Gambians’ Hopes for Justice
Al Jazeera (September 30, 2021): The Gambia delays report on former longtime leader Jammeh
Mali Presidential and Legislative Elections: February 27, 2022 (following two coups)
Mali has set presidential and legislative elections for February 27, 2022, following the August 2020 coup. In the coup, soldiers removed President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, dissolved parliament (which had just been elected in April, in elections marred by fraud and intimidation) and established a transitional government. Before that, there will be a constitutional referendum on October 31, 2021 and local and regional elections on December 26.
On May 25, Mali had another coup, but leaders have stated that the elections will remain on the calendar for 2022. However, the situation remains fluid.
Moses Rono, BBC (October 2, 2021): Mali’s plan for Russia mercenaries to replace French troops unsettles Sahel
Al Jazeera (September 29, 2021): Mali receives helicopters and weapons from Russia
David Rich, France24 (September 29, 2021): Mali junta’s sovereignty push arouses hope, fear amid troubled anti-jihadist struggle
RFI (September 28, 2021): France rejects Mali ‘abandonment’ claim, insists election timetable be respected
Roger Boyes, Times of London (September 28, 2021): Mercenaries tighten Putin’s grip in Africa
Jeff Seldin, Voice of America (September 28, 2021): Mali Seeking ‘Better Ways’ to Contain Terrorism
Reuters (September 28, 2021): Mali could delay post-coup elections, interim PM says
Kenya General Elections: August 9, 2022
Kenya is due to hold general elections on August 9, 2022. The last elections, in August 2017, were disputed, and the presidential poll was re-run in October 2017. President Uhuru Kenyatta won re-election after opposition leader Raila Odinga encouraged his supporters to boycott the re-run. Kenyan politics is highly polarized with a strong ethnic component.
Dr Westen K Shilaho, The Conversation (September 28, 2021): Kenya’s next election is in view: the struggle between elites and rule of law is intensifying
Chad Elections: By December 2022 (tentative, post-coup)
Chad held a presidential election on April 11, 2021. President Idriss Déby, seized power in a rebellion in 1990, won a sixth term. However, on April 20, he was killed by rebels.
Although the country holds elections, there has never been a change in power by a free or fair vote. Long-delayed long-delayed parliamentary elections had been set for October 24, 2021 and local elections for April 2022. Originally due in 2015, the legislative elections have been delayed multiple times. However, Deby’s death could lead to further delays – the military has said it plans to rule the country for 18 months. More
Reuters (October 2, 2021): One policeman killed, at least ten civilians wounded in Chad opposition protest
Trevor Filseth, National Interest (September 28, 2021): Chad Interim Parliament Announced: Opposition Leaders Excluded
Zimbabwe General Elections: July 2023 (due)
Zimbabwe is due to hold elections in 2023. These will be the second since the 2017 coup that led to the fall of Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s longtime dictator, who left a legacy of gross economic mismanagement and political repression. However, democracy continues to face many challenges in Zimbabwe.
Gibbs Dube, Voice of America (October 1, 2021): Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Says MDC Alliance Not Barred from Attending Stakeholders Meetings
AFP (October 1, 2021): 19 arrested at Zimbabwe pre-election protest
Guinea Elections: TBD, following coup
On September 5, 2021, Guinea’s president, Alpha Condé, fell in a military coup. Guinea’s political future remains uncertain, but regional and international bodies, as well as Guinean civil society and political groups, have urged elections.
Condé was re-elected in October 2020 amid violence. He sought and won a controversial third term, and for the third time, faced off against opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo. Both candidates claimed they won, but election officials declared Condé the winner. However, Diallo is challenged the results, alleging fraud and prompting street protests leading to at least 10 deaths. The government arrested a number of opposition members following the election. More
Marième Soumaré, The Africa Report (October 4, 2021): Army reform in Guinea: Will Mamady Doumbouya succeed where Alpha Condé failed?
BBC (October 1, 2021): Mamady Doumbouya: Guinea coup leader sworn in as president
Saliou Samb, Reuters (September 28, 2021): Guinea junta bars its members from running in next elections
Boubacar Diallo and Carley Petesch, AP (September 28, 2201): Guinea’s junta releases transition charter toward elections
Past Africa Elections
Ethiopia Partial Elections: September 30, 2021, preceded by General Elections: June 21, 2021
Ethiopia held general elections on June 21, 2021, after several postponements. These elections took place in the context of increasing ethnic violence that has reached crisis levels. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, previously a reformer (he even won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2019) but most recently an authoritarian, won in a landslide. Polling couldn’t happen in several areas due to the ongoing conflict, so make-up votes took place on September 30, amid opposition boycotts. Nonetheless, Abiy already had enough seats to form a new government regardless of the results of the September elections.
AP (October 4, 2021): Ethiopian PM begins 2nd term saying war exacts ‘heavy price’
Bileh Jelan and Siyanne Mekonnen, Addis Standard (October 4, 2021): Analysis : As it reckons with multi-layered crises, Ethiopia forms new government in the absence of Tigray, incomplete electoral process
Bethlehem Feleke and Eliza Mackintosh, CNN (October 1, 2021): Ethiopia to expel UN officials amid fears of Tigray famine
AFP (September 30, 2021): Ethiopia to expel seven senior UN staff for ‘meddling’
France24 (September 30, 2021 – video): Ethiopia elections: Somali region holds vote after 3-month delay
Georja Calvin-Smith and Laura Di Blasio, France24 (September 29, 2021 – video): Opposition parties pull out of Ethiopia’s elections
Maria Gerth-Niculescu, DW (September 28, 2021): Ethiopia: War and optimism collide as Abiy Ahmed prepares to form a new government
Benin Presidential Election: April 11, 2021
Benin held a presidential election on April 11, 2021. Incumbent Patrice Talon won a second term after largely keeping the opposition off the ballot. Previously a model democracy in the region, Benin has seen democratic decline since Talon’s election in 2016. More
Virgile Dénakpo, African Arguments (September 29, 2021): The jailed candidate: What Madougou’s case tells us about Benin
Regional Analysis
Chris Olaoluwa Ogunmodede, World Politics Review (September 30, 2021): ‘Stability’ Without Democratic Values Has Failed in West Africa
Africa Elections Coming Up in 2021 and 2022
Nigeria: Local Elections in Nasarawa State: October 6, 2021
Nigeria: Local Elections in Plateau State: October 9, 2021
Cabo Verde Presidential Election: October 17, 2021
Somalia, Direct Local Elections in Puntland: October 25, 2021
South Africa Local Elections: October 27, 2021
Nigeria, Anambra State Gubernatorial Election: November 6, 2021
Gambia Presidential Election: December 4, 2021
Angola Local Elections: Overdue, might possibly happen in 2021
Senegal Local Elections: January 23, 2021
Somalia Indirect Presidential and Legislative Elections: February 8, 2022 (Tentative, following numerous delays – additional delays possible)
Mali Presidential and Legislative Elections: February 27, 2022 (following coup – delays possible)
Gambia Parliamentary Elections: April 2022 (due)
Burkina Faso Local Elections: May 2022 (due)
Lesotho Parliamentary Elections: June 2022 (due)
Republic of Congo Legislative Elections: July 2022 (due)
Senegal Legislative Elections: July 2022 (due)
Kenya Presidential and Legislative Elections: August 9, 2022
Angola Legislative Elections: August 2022 (due)
Sao Tome and Principe Parliamentary Elections: October 2022 (due)
Equatorial Guinea Parliamentary Elections: November 2022 (due)
21votes does not necessarily agree with all of the opinions expressed in the linked articles; rather, our goal is to curate a wide range of voices. Furthermore, none of the individuals or organizations referenced have reviewed 21votes’ content. That is to say, their inclusion should not be taken to imply that they endorse us in any way. More on our approach here.
Share this:
Related
Category: This Week Tags: Benin, Cabo Verde, Chad, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe