Election Management Bodies in Southern Africa: Comparative study of the electoral commissions’ contribution to electoral processes – African Minds Twitter ➜ SUBSCRIBE African Minds is an open access, not-for-profit publisher of scholarly books About Overview Staff Governance Policies Editorial board Distribution network Supporters, partners and memberships Books By topic Cities Education Music Openness Politics and justice Science Other Recently published Forthcoming All books Other languages Português Français Book series AHED – African Higher Education Dynamic Series FicSci LOITASA – Language of Instruction in Tanzania and South Africa Public Broadcasting in Africa News & reviews Submissions Research Overview Research projects Open Data Intermediaries and Economic Ownership Rights The African university press in a digital age: practices and opportunities Open data and information asymmetries Open data and social inclusion Contact Search Menu Menu Publication date 12/04/2017 Language English ISBN 978-1-928332-17-6 Election Management Bodies in Southern Africa: Comparative study of the electoral commissions’ contribution to electoral processes By OSISA Over the past two decades, Southern African countries have entrenched the use of elections as the only means and medium for electing governments and representative institutions in governance. Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) are central to the delivery and quality of elections. These institutions are mandated to manage most or all aspects of the electoral process. Informed by diverse factors – the design, mandate, extent of powers and even the number of institutions responsible for electoral matters vary in each country. This study is a collaborative effort between the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), the Open Society Foundation’s Africa Regional Office (AfRO) and the Electoral Commissions Forum of the Southern African Development Community (ECF-SADC). For each of the 12 countries, the research covered: Comparative analysis of the legal frameworks the EMBs operate under and of the historical and political contexts they function within; Comparative study of the institutional nature of the EMBs; Assessment of the powers vested in the EMBs in the conduct and management of electoral processes and their role in the drafting of electoral laws, managing electoral operations, certifying and proclaiming electoral results, ensuring that electoral results are credible, and in resolving electoral conflicts; and Comparative assessment of the independence of the EMBs with particular reference to funding and their relationships with the executive, political parties, parliament and the judiciary (electoral justice mechanisms). Findings and recommendations from this pan-African initiative are expected to increase information and knowledge on the strengths, weaknesses and workings of EMBs in sub-Saharan Africa to facilitate peer learning among African election managers, as well as informing policy-makers, legislators, governments and civil society on a progressive reform agenda to strengthen inclusive electoral processes and democratic practice. Download a digital copy Full-text PDF Table of contents Preface | Acknowledgements | Overview 1. Angola Nuno de Fragoso Vidal 2. Botswana Emmanuel Botlhale, with Onalenna Selolwane 3. Democratic Republic of Congo Joseph Cihunda Hengelela 4. Lesotho Mafa M. Sejanamane 5. Malawi Ann Maganga 6. Mauritius Roukaya Kasenally 7. Mozambique Domingos M do Rosário 8. Namibia Moses Ndjarakana 9. Seychelles Nandini Patel 10. South Africa Collette Schulz-Herzenberg 11. Zambia Njunga-Michael Mulikita 12. 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Please complete the book review form . Your review will be published after it has passed moderation. Share Share this entry Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share by Mail In brief African Minds is a not-for-profit, open access publisher of scholarly books based in Cape Town, South Africa. African Minds publishes predominantly in the social sciences and humanities, and its authors are typically African academics, as well as international academics who share a close affinity with the continent. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy Subscribe Name Email* Institution Country Subscribe Contact us Book orders AFRICA: Booksite Africa, [email protected] Gloria Makambi, [email protected] OUTSIDE OF AFRICA: African Books Collective, [email protected] Editorial [email protected] General [email protected] Follow us on Twitter The content of this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . 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