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| Title: | 'Choice between malaria and cholera' or 'democratic façade': the 2006 elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo |
| Author: | Booysen, Susan |
| Year: | 2007 |
| Periodical: | Politikon: South African Journal of Political Studies |
| Volume: | 34 |
| Issue: | 1 |
| Pages: | 1-18 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic term: | Congo (Democratic Republic of) |
| Subjects: | elections 2006 |
| External link: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02589340701336179 |
| Abstract: | This article presents an analytical case study of the electoral transition in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2006. The transition to electoral democracy was significant, yet also characterized by fragility, ambiguity and uncertainties. The article's primary focus is the intricacies of the presidential and parliamentary elections and how these electoral building blocks were constituted. It simultaneously draws attention to the transitional flaws that render the electoral benchmark insecurely grounded. The fault lines include doubts about the main candidates - 'the choice between malaria and cholera', uncertainties as to the political elite's commitment to the practices of electoral democracy - fears that the new order could turn out to be a 'democratic façade', the continuous threat of reversion to war in the east and outbreak of civil unrest in the west, dependence on international funding and security support, and the effect of weak State institutions. The two strongest forces propelling the possible consolidation (effective and repeat functioning) of elections in the DRC are popular war-weariness and international pressure on the political elite to make the electoral settlement work. This case study explores these countervailing trends. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract] |
