11th May 2007

Vol 48 N0 10

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PARLIAMENTS

Oppositionists and activists struggle to shake out the system

Africa's elections this year have been marred by fraud and violence but multiparty politics have become a fixture and parliamentarians are beginning to pressure the hitherto untouchable presidents. Also, a new spate of anti-corruption cases shows an increasingly assertive judiciary.

Last month, South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka told an African Union-sponsored democracy conference in Johannesburg that elections were old news, that the key issue today was the quality of democracy. In some ways, democracy is getting stronger. Despite last month's surreal non-vote in Nigeria, electoral organisation has much improved in many countries, with South Africa's Independent Electoral Commission under Brigalia Bam setting a new standard both in technical competence and in independence from government....

(This article contains approximately 2321 words)

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Keywords:

 THE QUALITY OF DEMOCRACY, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Nigeria, Brigalia Bam, Congo-Kinshasa, Burundi, Maurice Iwu, Olusegun Obasanjo, Zambia, Frederick Chiluba, Malawi, Bakili Muluzi, Mohamed Salih, Per Nordlund, Egypt, Soviet, Eritrea, Issayas Afewerki, China, Angola, NIGERIA STAGGERS, GHANA DEBATES, Ghana, Kenya, Mwai Kibaki, Raila Odinga, Tanzania, Uganda, Jakaya Kikwete, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Kizza Besigye, STRONG IN SOUTH AFRICA, Thabo Mbeki, Jacob Zuma, Tony Leon, Helen Zille, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Gavin Woods, Jeremy Cronin, Rwanda, Paul Kagame, STAYING SINGLE, Paul Biya, Cameroon, Omar Bongo Ondimba, Gabon, John Fru Ndi, Pierre Mamboundou, Zacharie Myboto, Victoire Lasséni Duboze, Denis Sassou-Nguesso, Congo-Brazzaville, Bernard Kolélas, Frédéric Bitsangou, Pasteur Ntumi, Mali, Amadou Toumani Touré, Benin, Thomas Yayi Boni, Nicéphore Soglo, Adrien Houngbédji, Mathurin Nago, Togo, Gilchrist Olympio, Faure Gnassingbé, Yaovi Agboyigbo, Kpatcha, TAKING SHAPE IN SENEGAL, Abdoulaye Wade, Idrissa Seck, Jean-Paul Dias, Awa Guèye Kébé, Guinea, Lansana Conté, Alpha Condé, Bah Ousmane, Mamadou Bâ, Jean-Marie Doré, de facto, Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola, União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola, Chama Cha Mapinduzi, Front Patriotique Rwandais, Parti Social Démocrate, Mouvement Démocratique Républicain, Rassemblement Démocratique du Peuple Camerounais, Parti Démocratique Gabonais, Mouvement Congolais pour la Démocratie et le Développement Intégral, Parti Congolais du Travail, Socle de l'Unité Nationale, Force Cauris pour un Bénin Emergent, Alliance pour une Dynamique Démocratique, Parti de la Renaissance du Bénin, Parti du Renouveau Démocratique, Union des Forces de Changement, Commission Electorale Nationale Indépendante, Rassemblement du Peuple Togolais, Rewmi, Parti Socialiste, Parti Démocratique Sénégalais, Bloc des Centristes-Gaïndé, Parti de l'Unité et du Progrès, Rassemblement du Peuple Guinéen, Union pour le Progrès et le Renouveau, Union des Forces Démocratiques de Guinée, Union pour le Progrès de la Guinée