Stefanus Nashama
Poor political performance, not economic failure, as some may believe, undermines Africa’s commitment to democracy.
This was revealed by the Afrobarometer inaugural flagship report last week.
“The rising of corruption in local government, poor-quality elections, and a lack of presidential accountability undermine the faith in democracy,” stated the report.
Afrobarometer provides data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life.
It found out that Africans remain strongly committed to democracy, its norms, and institutions, but there are also causes for concern.
According to the report, over the past decade, popular support for democracy has declined sharply in several countries, while opposition to military rule has weakened.
“Opposition to military rule has weakened by 11 points across 30 countries, most dramatically in Mali and Burkina Faso (by 40 and 37 points), respectively,” it stated.
Despite these, the report underscores that satisfaction with the way democracy works has continued to decline.
On average, across 39 African countries, support for democracy remains robust at 66 percent.
A large majority reject one-man rule (80 percent), one-party rule (78 percent), and military rule (66 percent).
This study, which took place between 2021 and 2023, shows that Africans prefer democracy to any other form of government.
The report said 53,444 face-to-face African interviews show that Africans also endorse norms, institutions, and practices associated with democratic governance.
These include electing political leaders via the ballot box, constitutional limits on presidential tenure, presidential compliance with court rulings, parliamentary oversight of the executive, media freedom, and multiparty competition.
The report further revealed that majorities call for government accountability and the rule of law in Africa.
According to the support for elections has dropped by 8 percentage points across 30 countries, though a large majority still consider it the best method for choosing their leaders.
“Fewer than half (45%) of Africans in the 39 countries surveyed think their countries are mostly or completely democratic, and only 37 percent say they are satisfied with the way democracy works in their countries,” it said.
