In the latest Zambian election held on August 12, 2021, under the slogan ‘Good Governance and Prudent Economic Management’, opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema was elected president. He defeated incumbent President Edgar Lungu in the face of many odds.
Although they are an integral part of the foundations of a democratic state, the holding of elections does not in itself determine their credibility or even the state of a country’s democracy. To be credible, elections must rather be part of the broader political framework based on good governance, the rule of law and equal participation in political life. Despite numerous challenges, Africa has made tremendous progress in past decades, both normatively and institutionally, and on the ground.
Panelists
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Guy Cyrille Tapoko is the Head of the Democracy and Electoral Assistance within the Department of Political Affairs Peace and Security of the African Union Commission. He has an extensive international experience spanning over 17 years with exposure to electoral processes in Africa, Europe and America, including in post conflict transitional settings. Mr. Tapoko has contributed to the credibility of electoral processes in Africa by providing technical advices to Electoral Management Bodies, Political Parties and Civil Society Organizations. Some of key assignments he has undertaken includes providing high level technical support to good offices of AU Special Envoys/Representatives during mediation on electoral-related conflicts in several countries in Africa. Mr. Tapoko is also an internationally accredited Facilitator of BRIDGE (Building Resource in Democracy Governance and Elections), and ACE Project expert. He holds pre Doctorate degree in Political Science from the University of Yaoundé II in Cameroon. He published articles in elections and governance, most recent being ‘Election Observation and the Question of State of Sovereignty in Africa’ at the Journal of African Elections. |
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Privilege (Priva) Haang’andu holds a PhD in Public Policy from the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan, a master’s degree in Political Science and a bachelors degree in Philosophy. His research interest is in the role of transnational policy actors in driving policy change in African institutions. He has taught Political Science in Canada and in Zambia and has published in internationally reputed academic journals. He has served for several years as the Governance and Political Advisor at the US Department of State, and as consultant with the African Development Bank. He currently doubles as the Governance Principal Researcher for Includovate Pty Ltd, an Australian research incubator and as Development and Peace’s Regional Policy and Advocacy Coordinator for Saskatchewan and Keewatin Le-Pas. |
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The webinar was moderated by Marcia Burdette, the Deputy Chair of the Africa Study Group. With a PhD in the Political Science from Columbia University (New York, 1979), Marcia Burdette pursued an academic career followed by 25 years with Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She has a longstanding interest in Africa, in particular central southern Africa. Her book Zambia: Between Two Worlds and a series of articles focused on the major economic transition of the country when its new leaders embarked on the nationalization of the copper industry, the country’s main economic engine. Subsequent articles dealt with input industries for Zimbabwe’s agriculture sector in the 1980s and 1990s. |
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