VIctor-Daniel Abubakar-Ibrahim’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

There seems to be an emerging pattern in some of the major elections conducted in Africa so far, hinting at an emergent character of democracy in the continent, and this would seem to be the people’s seeming determination to change incumbent ruling parties or whittle down their influence or remove them altogether, and at the base of this is a certain streak of nostalgia for the past...https://wp.me/p6TSXP-1YyM

Here is a huge lesson that Somaliland teaches to the world. As the below diagram indicates, 19 African countries have been planning to hold a presidential and legislative election in 2024. Unfortunately, 11 of them have failed to hold these elections as they planned due to unclear postponements. Only 8 of them have successfully held elections on time, although some of them were reported that their elections were not free and fair, which caused results to conflict. Somaliland became one of the view countries that held its combined elections on time with peaceful, free, and fair elections and smooth power transfer. This shows how Somaliland is a beacon of democracy and good governance in Africa. It's the time we must have to what we have right; we no longer maintain our shining contribution to Africa since the world, particularly Africa, continues the ignorance of our right of existence. The world must realize the reality and must reward what we have right now, which is official recognition. #Somalilandelection2024

Upcoming event! Ghana Decides: Election 2024 Public Forum Monday, December 2 Webinar, and limited in-person event in Loeb A631 11.00 am -2.00 pm ET (4.00 – 7.00 pm GMT) Registration and details: https://buff.ly/3Oh9BRL Ghana’s upcoming December 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections mark another crucial moment for democracy and governance in Africa. As Ghana prepares for its 9th consecutive general election since the return to democratic rule in 1992, it stands as a beacon of stability in West Africa—a region recently shaken by military coups in neighboring countries. This forum brings together scholars, politicians, activists, journalists, and members of the African diaspora to discuss the significance of Ghana’s 2024 elections on democratic governance and development. Additionally, it will examine Ghana’s current political and economic climate, exploring how these dynamics may shape the country’s democratic future and the broader implications for democracy and development in Africa.

Inclusive Peace - This is a great overview for South Africa and national dialogues in general. My upcoming research paper adds three conceptual elements that should be considered in national dialogue designs: (i) the social contract (ii) consociationalism and (iii) conflict transformation.

The 2024 National and Provincial elections have concluded, but it remains to be seen how South Africa will be governed over the next 5 years. Over the next 14 days, all major political parties will be working towards forming a government for South Africa. 1. No clear majority rule is a sign that our democracy is alive and kicking and responding to the needs of South Africans. 2. Coalition agreements can slice and dice power sharing in multiple permutations. This is not limited to Cabinet positions only, but could include key roles in Parliament and within provincial government. 3. This is unchartered territory, but presents an exciting opportunity for the future of South Africa with a multi-party government at the helm. Read more analysis from our team Lelo Skosana, Relebohile Phoofolo Kagiso Christopher Mkhonza Jeremy Michaels

Bill Alert! US Senate Bill SRES 511 - A resolution reinforcing the United States-Senegal relationship and urging the Government of Senegal to conduct free, fair, transparent, and inclusive elections on February 25, 2024. Policy: International Affairs Status: Bill Introduced Full Details: https://lnkd.in/eqQGr5Ed Bill 118 sres 511, also known as a resolution reinforcing the United States-Senegal relationship and urging the Government of Senegal to conduct free, fair, transparent, and inclusive elections on February 25, 2024, was introduced in the United States Senate. The resolution aims to strengthen the diplomatic ties between the United States and Senegal and emphasizes the importance of democratic principles in the upcoming elections in Senegal. The...

My thoughts are … Electoral reforms are essential to maintain and improve the democratic process by ensuring credible, transparent and accountable elections. They aim to safeguard the integrity of the election process, eliminate irregularities, increase voter participation, and build public trust in the electoral system.

This year is a big election year with over 60 national elections – many of them will inevitably hold surprises, reflect societal fault lines and polarisation, and prompt moments of reflection 💭 In South Africa 🇿🇦 the ANC government is now a minority government for the first time since 1994. The former president Thabo Mbeki is now suggesting a national dialogue with civil society organisations, politicians, businesses, labour, and other organisations to discuss a way forward. See this article for an in-depth analysis of Thabo Mbeki’s call 📣 https://lnkd.in/dDshYpps Our research 🔬 suggests that national dialogues can indeed be very useful in long-term political transition processes. However, national dialogues should not be seen as a one-time quick fix but might require a series of national dialogues to create dialogue around issues important to all groups in a population. In the case of South Africa, 30 years ago, the post-apartheid process was also accompanied by a national dialogue –  the country now faces a very different kind of dialogue, at a very different kind of moment. At such a critical juncture,  it is worth considering the make-or-break factors  ⚡ of national dialogues. Five political context factors that influence  whether national dialogues make or break ✅ National elites’ resistance or support ✅  Public support or frustration  ✅ Support or resistance of regional and international actors  ✅ Local dialogue expertise  ✅ Experiences from prior negotiations Five process factors that influence whether national dialogues make or break ✅ Representation of actors and the selection process  ✅ Decision-making procedures  ✅ Support structures for involved actors  ✅ Coalition building among included actors  ✅ Choice of facilitator(s) Read more in this briefing notes on the make-or-break factors of national dialogues  ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/d4bi8QUE  #elections “nationaldialogues #SouthAfrica #ANC

#VantageOnFirstpost Will South Africa's Opposition Manage to Topple the ANC? | Vantage with Palki Sharma South Africa is holding its general election today. Almost 28 million registered voters will decide the country's fate. These are the most competitive elections in South Africa in 30 years. Since 1994, South Africa has been ruled by the African National Congress Party. Under Nelson Mandela, the ANC managed to bring an end to Apartheid, so the party has been rewarded with electoral wins ever since. But today, South Africa has the worst unemployment rate in the world and crime is on the rise. Will young voters continue to support the ANC, or will they opt for one of the opposition parties for economic growth? --- South Africa | South Africa Elections | Elections | Cyril Ramaphosa | ANC | African National Congress | Jacob Zuma | Nelson Mandela | Firstpost | World News | Vantage | Palki Sharma #southafrica #southafricaelections #elections2024 #cyrilramaphosa #africannationalcongress #jacobzuma #nelsonmandela #firstpost #vantageonfirstpost #palkisharma #worldnews