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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Explaining the Unexpected: Electoral Reform and Democratic Governance in Burkina Faso
Authors:Santiso, CarlosISNI
Loada, AugustinISNI
Year:2003
Periodical:Journal of Modern African Studies
Volume:41
Issue:3
Period:September
Pages:395-419
Language:English
Geographic term:Burkina Faso
Subjects:democracy
elections
2002
electoral systems
Politics and Government
External link:https://www.jstor.org/stable/3876237
Abstract:The parliamentary elections of May 2002 in Burkina Faso saw the ruling party loose its exclusionary grip on power. For the first time since the restoration of democracy in 1991, the parliamentary opposition now represents a sizeable group. While it retains the majority, the ruling party has to share legislative power with the opposition. These elections marginally alter the structure of power in a deeply presidential system of government. Several institutional and electoral reforms have played a critical role in strengthening the mechanisms of 'vertical accountability' and representative democracy. By assessing recent electoral reforms in Burkina Faso, the article underlines the importance of the electoral system in multiparty elections and thus contributes to an understanding of the effects of changes in electoral rules on the distribution of political outcomes. In particular, it underscores the contribution that institutional engineering and electoral reform can make to further democratization in a semi-authoritarian context. While many challenges to democratic governance and the rule of law remain, the new political landscape holds the promise of changes in the style of government and the emergence of more consensual modes of governance. Bibliogr., notes, sum. [Journal abstract]
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