The African Union and the Promotion of Democratic Values in Africa: An Electoral Perspective

This research paper evaluates the African Union's (AU) role in promoting democratic values in Africa through an electoral lens, arguing that while AU declarations have positively influenced the electoral landscape, elections remain a weak point in the continent's democratisation process.

• The African Union's efforts to promote democratic values through electoral monitoring have yielded mixed results. While the AU and other groups have increased general awareness and pressured states for electoral reforms, the AU has often been less critical of incumbents seeking re-election. Furthermore, AU reports and recommendations lack legal force and are not binding on host countries.
• Despite the AU's interventions and declarations governing democratic elections and monitoring, elections in Africa continue to be a primary weakness in the democratisation process, acting as liabilities rather than assets. The effectiveness of AU monitoring is hindered by administrative and implementation challenges as well as the specific contexts of electoral governance within host countries.
• To improve electoral monitoring, the paper suggests reconciling international standards with African realities, expanding field coverage for elections, adopting medium- and long-term approaches, and strengthening partnerships with local monitoring groups to better understand electoral geography and share logistics.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2014). The African Union and the Promotion of Democratic Values in Africa: An Electoral Perspective. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-african-union-and-the-promotion-of-democratic-values-in-africa-an-electoral-perspective/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. The African Union and the Promotion of Democratic Values in Africa: An Electoral Perspective. 2014. https://saiia.org.za/research/the-african-union-and-the-promotion-of-democratic-values-in-africa-an-electoral-perspective/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=The African Union and the Promotion of Democratic Values in Africa: An Electoral Perspective |date=21 May 2014 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/the-african-union-and-the-promotion-of-democratic-values-in-africa-an-electoral-perspective/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2014african, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{The African Union and the Promotion of Democratic Values in Africa: An Electoral Perspective}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2014}, month = may, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/the-african-union-and-the-promotion-of-democratic-values-in-africa-an-electoral-perspective/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }