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Non-Electoral Executive Turnover and Low-Capacity Democracy in Southern Africa
Regierungschefwechsel ohne Wahlen und Demokratie mit geringer Kapazität im südlichen Afrika
[journal article]
Abstract What do non-electoral turnovers tell us about the relationship between elections, executive turnover, and democratisation? Can they contribute to democratisation? To gain insight into these questions, we consider the experiences of Southern Africa. While transfers of executive authority have become ... view more
What do non-electoral turnovers tell us about the relationship between elections, executive turnover, and democratisation? Can they contribute to democratisation? To gain insight into these questions, we consider the experiences of Southern Africa. While transfers of executive authority have become commonplace in Southern Africa, they do not necessarily coincide with elections and rarely involve partisan turnover. Neither the mode nor the form of executive turnover corresponds clearly with prior assessments of democracy. This study examines recent non-electoral turnovers in Zimbabwe (November 2017), South Africa (February 2018), and Botswana (April 2018). This research finds that non-electoral transfers of presidential authority in Southern Africa represent efforts by dominant parties to manage factional conflicts and enhance their ability to benefit from incumbency in competitive elections. While non-electoral turnover in executive authority might promote democracy under some conditions, they do more to sustain dominant party rule and a stagnate level of low-capacity democracy.... view less
Classification
Political Process, Elections, Political Sociology, Political Culture
Free Keywords
Botswana; South Africa; Zimbabwe; democratisation; party systems
Document language
English
Publication Year
2021
Page/Pages
p. 194-215
Journal
Africa Spectrum, 56 (2021) 2
ISSN
1868-6869
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed