Date published: 20/07/2017
A democratic test for Rwanda, Kenya and Angola
In August 2017 the citizens of Rwanda, Kenya and Angola head to the polls to vote in presidential elections. Admist a global trend of democratic backsliding, holding free, fair and peaceful elections would send a powerful message about Africa’s nascent democracies.
While the recent experiences of Ghana and The Gambia offer hope, the failure to hold elections in Democratic Republic of Congo and third termism points to the continued difficulties countries face in consolidating democratic systems. Voter intimidation, incumbency bias and quasi-authoritarian governance remain, to varying degrees, endemic in Rwanda, Kenya and Angola. This Special Report analyses the prospects and risks for their upcoming elections.
