Democracy, elections and political parties: A conceptual overview with special emphasis on Africa

This research paper provides a conceptual framework to distinguish between democracy, elections, and political parties, arguing that while elections are a primary prerequisite for democracy, a credible system requires both credible elections and the participation of credible political parties, particularly within the African context.

• The paper defines democracy as a political system where citizens can effectively choose their leaders through competitive elections. It argues that elections should be viewed as primary prerequisites for democracy rather than being conflated with democracy itself, and that these elections must be managed by impartial electoral institutions, overseen by independent judicial bodies, and monitored by qualified observers.
• The author defines a political party as a political institution capable of contesting multiple elections and remaining sensitive to the demands of specific constituencies. In Africa, political parties are characterized as being largely non-institutionalised, personalised, and based on ethnicity.
• The paper posits that African elections, despite failing to meet local and international expectations, remain a necessary condition for the growth of democracy. The central thesis is that a credible democratic political system depends on credible elections, which in turn depend on the participation of credible political parties.

APA

Mesfin, B. (n.d.). Democracy, elections and political parties: A conceptual overview with special emphasis on Africa. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/papers/democracy-elections-and-political-parties-a-conceptual-overview-with-special-emphasis-on-africa

Chicago

Mesfin, Berouk. Democracy, elections and political parties: A conceptual overview with special emphasis on Africa. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/papers/democracy-elections-and-political-parties-a-conceptual-overview-with-special-emphasis-on-africa.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mesfin |first1=Berouk |title=Democracy, elections and political parties: A conceptual overview with special emphasis on Africa |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/papers/democracy-elections-and-political-parties-a-conceptual-overview-with-special-emphasis-on-africa |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mesfinnddemocracy, author = {Mesfin, Berouk}, title = {{Democracy, elections and political parties: A conceptual overview with special emphasis on Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/papers/democracy-elections-and-political-parties-a-conceptual-overview-with-special-emphasis-on-africa}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }