Political instiutions in Africa: Zambia, Malawi and Uganda compared
Timeframe: Jan 2006 - Dec 2006
Funder: CMI
Lise Rakner
Professor at University of Bergen and Affiliated Research Professor
In 2001 CMI and Department of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen collaborated around the establishment of a new research programme, Political Institutions in Africa. The project has studied the institutionalisation of democracy linked to the electoral processes in Zambia (2000-2002), Malawi (2003-2005) and Uganda (2004-2007). It has focused on the role of the electoral administration, parliament, the political parties and the judiciary in ensuring free and fair electoral processes.
The project has involved long term institutional collaborations with the University of Zambia and Institute of Social and Economic Research (Lusaka); Chancellor College and Centre for Social Research (Malawi) and Makerere University (Uganda). Approximately 15 MA students from the South and the University of Bergen have written their MA theses linked to the project. Four MA/PhD courses have been conducted as part of the project. A textbook on 'Politics in Malawi', an edited volume on the 2001 elections in Zambia, and a number of articles have been published as part of the project.
In the last phase of the research programme, the finalisation of the research in Uganda as well as comparative articles on democratic institutionalisation in Africa's new democracies will form the core of our activities.
- Zambia
- Uganda and Malawi
- Democratic institutionalisation
- The judiciary
- The parliament
- Political parties
- Electoral administration
- Elections.
Programme
Political Institutions in Africa. The Quest for Democratic Accountability
Jan 2003 - Dec 2004
