Ripples Nigeria’s Post

South Africa and the United States both have the most consequential elections in their political history in 2024. For example, in South Africa, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) may, for the first time since 1994, fail to win over 50% of the votes and this would force a coalition of parties to form a government in South Africa which the ANC may not even be involved in. In the US, the November elections could go either way between the ruling Democrat Party and opposition Republican Party with the race too close to call between the presidential candidates of both parties. Either way, unless the ruling parties win the elections in South Africa and the US, any other outcome on either side would have serious consequence for relations between countries for the next 4 years. This moderated conversation between experienced both election analysts with inputs from the audience will shed light on the consequential nature of these elections for both countries and Africa broadly. Click here to register: https://lnkd.in/dNrczsjU Christopher Isike I Carl LeVan I University of Pretoria I Department of International Relations and Cooperation I U.S. Department of State I Prof. Tawana Kupe I Samuel Oyewole I Ihembe Martin I Paseka Gaola I Lerato Dube I Centre for Mediation in Africa

🇿🇦 SOUTH AFRICA BRIEF: POST 2024 NATIONAL AND PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA 📣 🌍 We are pleased to present an updated edition of our #SouthAfrica Brief, post the historic 29 May 2024 National and Provincial Elections which has ushered in a multiparty Government of National Unity (GNU) for Africa’s most advanced and largest trading economy. 🗳This brief provides a synopsis of the Presidential Inauguration of President Elect Mr. Ramaphosa on 19 June 2024, as the President of the Republic of South Africa. 🏛 This follows Mr. Ramaphosa’s successful nomination and election as President Elect during the first sitting of the National Assembly of the 7th Democratic Parliament of the Republic of South Africa convened on 14 June 2024, for the purpose of amongst others fulfilling the Constitutional requirement to nominate and elect a President within 14 days of the election. Key content highlights and a look at what lies ahead, include: ✅ Overview of Presidential Inauguration ✅ Downstream implications reflected in the Parliamentary Committee System ✅ The inauguration theme of “30 Years of Democracy, Partnership and Growth” ✅ Operationalising the Government of National Unity Forthcoming Presidential opening address to the 7th Democratic Parliament Happy reading and do not hesitate to contact our offices and representatives for enquiries and advice. #SouthAfrica #7thParliament #7thAdministration #GovernmentofNationalUnity #GNU #Parliament #politics #politicaladvisory #politicalrisk #publicpolicy #governmentaffairs #advocacy #lobbying #ETHICORE #panAfrican #Africa #inauguration #presidentialinauguration #president #UnionBuildings #economy #AfricanEconomy #PoliticalEconomy

2024 goes down as the biggest election year in human history. About 1.5 billion eligible voters voted in over 60 countries in various elections. Some of the most exciting ones happened in Africa. Where: - Senegal welcomed her youngest democratic president, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye - Rwandan’s President Paul Kagame won elections by a 99% landside extending his 2024 year tenure by 5 more years - South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphasa lost popular majority vote and has a coalition government - Botswana opposition party lead by now President Duma Boko ousted ruling party after 58 years - Namibia elects her first female president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah - Ghana to welcome her first female vice president, Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang A total of 25 African countries were scheduled to hold elections in 2024 however only 23 held as Mali and Burkina Faso’s junta (military) president are still in power. The common thread in the 2024 election is the continent’s desire for change as old norms were broken and some ruling parties were ousted or marginalized. 2025 would be exciting, looking forward to it. 📊- Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) Repost ♻️ to educate others.

The UN has unveiled a new plan to address Libya’s prolonged political deadlock and ensure long-overdue presidential elections take place. The initiative, presented to the UN Security Council, includes an advisory committee of diverse Libyan experts tasked with reviewing electoral laws and paving the way for credible, inclusive elections. Stephanie Koury, Deputy Special Representative for Libya, emphasized the urgent need to restore legitimacy to Libya’s institutions and deliver on the people’s aspirations for peace and stability. While the country has seen relative calm, lasting solutions remain out of reach, requiring political will and strong international backing to move forward. https://bit.ly/49FbTUo

🌍 Botswana is preparing to write a new page in its political history with landmark presidential elections on the horizon! 🗳️ The possible victory of the opposition suggests a democratic transition is underway. 🌟 #Botswana #DemocraticTransition #Politics

Today marks the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s first-ever democratic elections, which were fully inclusive of all South Africans, regardless of ethnicity. The polls marked a break from the repressive apartheid system that underpinned white minority rule. The April 27, 1994, elections led to the sweeping victory of the African National Congress and the election of Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned for 27 years during Apartheid, as the first president of South Africa from the country’s black majority.  Two years earlier, in a historic referendum organized by President Frederik Willem de Klerk, white South Africans voted in favor of reforms to end apartheid and establish a power-sharing multi-ethnic government.  HRF remembers South Africa’s first democratic elections as the consecration of a peaceful transition from Apartheid. HRF urges vigilance against democratic erosion, as impunity for high-level corruption and inequality weaken public trust in democracy. 

The 2024 South African general elections marked a historic turning point for the country's democracy. For the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party lost its parliamentary majority, winning only 40.18% of the vote. This means the ANC will need to form a coalition government with other parties to govern. The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) came in second with 21.81% of the votes, followed by the newly formed MK party led by former president Jacob Zuma with 14.58%, and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 9.52%. Smaller parties took the remaining seats. Voter turnout was the lowest ever in South Africa's democratic history at 58.64%, despite a record 27.7 million registered voters. Many South Africans cited corruption, high unemployment, and lack of progress in improving the lives of poor Black citizens as reasons for turning away from the ANC. President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged the ANC's setback, saying "Our people have spoken whether we like it or not." He called on all parties to work together for the good of the country. The ANC now has 14 days to form a coalition government through negotiations with other parties. The elections were declared free and fair by the Independent Electoral Commission, despite being the most difficult and hotly contested in South Africa's 30 years of democracy. The results demonstrate the strength and resilience of South Africa's democratic institutions and the power of citizens to hold their leaders accountable through the ballot box.

Can the Africa Union truly manage her own member states elections, deliver credible National Elections and avert civil unrest and civil wars born out of disputed elections? Let us first look at where the AU is on this subject of #democraticelections in #Africa. The African Union contributes to #electoralobservation through the African Union Election Observation Missions (AUEOM). The objectives of the #AUEOM are: 1. To provide an accurate and impartial reporting or assessment of the election, including the degree to which the conduct of the elections meets regional, continental and international standards for democratic elections. 2.To offer recommendations for improvement of future elections based on the findings. 3. To demonstrate the AU’s interest to support AU member States’ elections and democratisation process, to ensure that the conduct of genuine elections contributes to the consolidation of democratic governance, peace and stability. The AUEOM draws its mandate from various African Union instruments, most importantly: a) The African Union Guidelines for Elections Observation and Monitoring Missions. b) The OAU/AU Declaration on Principles Governing Democratic Elections in Africa c) The African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. The observations of the AUEOM are based on the principles and standards for the conduct of democratic elections as enshrined in the aforementioned AU instruments. So where and why have we as Africa had repetitive civil unrest, electoral failure and the civil wars that have resulted owing to electoral disputes? Why are we always relying on western observers as the final approval/endorsement for a credible or failed election in African states? #Africa #Elections #ElectoralFraud #CivilUnrest #CivilWar #Balkanization #Tribalism #Marginalization #Democracy #GoodGovernance #PanAfricanism #VoterRights #VoterTurnOut #TheAfricaWeWant #Agenda2063 #AUThirdAgenda

The South African Elections Is going as broadly predicted, for the first time in South Africa , we will be seeing something akin to mild chaos. In the next 14 days the country's victorious political parties are supposed to form a coalition government. The problem is that the horse trading will be wild because all the 4 leading political parties, the MK, the EFF, the DA and the ANC are disconnected and any attempt at a coalition will lead to a very fragile alliance, that will always be fraught with edgy tensions on very sensitive issues. At the top of the bargaining table comfortably seats the ANC, and it may hold most of the aces up its sleeves but anything unexpected could breakout. Expect to see the following scenarios in the coming days: An ANC/EFF coalition, an ANC/MK coalition, an ANC/DA coalition or an unusual, and highly unlikely ANC/EFF/MK coalition, with Ramaphosa's leadership of the coalition opposed. Also an unlikely and strange DA/MK/EFF coalition could emerge without Ramaphosa's leadership and in the last worst case scenario no coalition would be formed, leading for the first time to a hung parliament kind of situation in South Africa.

In reviewing my predictions for Pakistan's 2024 general elections, I contend that the biggest drivers of political change are the youth and the proliferation of digital technology. Pakistan's elites ignore the youth population at their own peril. The ruling elite of our country ought to understand the youth population's dynamics. They make more than 60 % of our population; the majority is semi-educated and poorly skilled. They face joblessness amid high inflation and high tax rates. What if they take to streets for their constitutional rights? Read more 👇 https://lnkd.in/gJp2U_k7 Fulbright Association DAAD German Academic Exchange Service V-Dem Institute Middle East Institute Carnegie Endowment for International Peace