The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance: Trends, Challenges and Perspectives

Abstract

This introduction to the Special Focus argues that more thorough and nuanced understandings of the past accomplishments and failures of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) are needed. The article contends that detailed accounts focusing on the practices of diverse actors and institutions within the ACDEG’s multi-level governance framework and their – sometimes – frictional relations are necessary to develop appropriate future policy governing continental encounters with democratic governance. The paper introduces the different articles of the Special Focus which all address the fundamental question of how the implementation and impact of the ACDEG influence the African democratic governance landscape. Based on their analysis of key norms, actors, and processes, the inquiries in this Special Focus set out distinct directions for further empirical research and theorising about the ACDEG.