pol 1015
INTRODUCTION
From the early 1990’s, Africa has experienced a ‘second Liberation’ that has opened up new prospects for democratic development on the continent. After 1990, most of the forty eight (48) countries in sub-Saharan African legalized opposition parties and held competitive, Multi-party elections. This essay intends to discuss whether elections can be a good measure of democracy in Africa. In trying to do so, the essay has been divided into three parts. The first part is the introduction in which key concepts that will be used mostly in this essay will be defined, such as elections and democracy. The second part is the main-body, which will discuss whether elections are a good of democracy and the third part will be the conclusion.
It has been noted that democracy can be defined in various ways, The term democracy comes from a Greek word ‘Demo Kratia ’meaning ‘rule of the people’. (www.qwhatis.com>Humanties). According to Abraham Lincoln democracy is the government of the people by the people and for the people, ( Mahajan, 2013). Democracy can also be defined as a form of government in which the ruling power of the state is legally vested, not in any particular class or classes, but in the members of the community as a whole ( Ibid). This means that in communities which act by voting, the rule belongs to the majority. Elections on the other hand, are a democratic process were citizens of a certain eligible age, for example those aged between 18 and above, select political candidates to represent them and their interests locally, nationally or internationally (Encyclopaedia Britannica). The candidates with the majority of votes are elected.
From the early 1990’s, Africa has experienced a ‘second Liberation’ that has opened up new prospects for democratic development on the continent. After 1990, most of the forty eight (48) countries in sub-Saharan African legalized opposition parties and held competitive, Multi-party elections. This essay intends to discuss whether elections can be a good measure of democracy in Africa. In trying to do so, the essay has been divided into three parts. The first part is the introduction in which key concepts that will be used mostly in this essay will be defined, such as elections and democracy. The second part is the main-body, which will discuss whether elections are a good of democracy and the third part will be the conclusion.
It has been noted that democracy can be defined in various ways, The term democracy comes from a Greek word ‘Demo Kratia ’meaning ‘rule of the people’. (www.qwhatis.com>Humanties). According to Abraham Lincoln democracy is the government of the people by the people and for the people, ( Mahajan, 2013). Democracy can also be defined as a form of government in which the ruling power of the state is legally vested, not in any particular class or classes, but in the members of the community as a whole ( Ibid). This means that in communities which act by voting, the rule belongs to the majority. Elections on the other hand, are a democratic process were citizens of a certain eligible age, for example those aged between 18 and above, select political candidates to represent them and their interests locally, nationally or internationally (Encyclopaedia Britannica). The candidates with the majority of votes are elected.