Elections and Democracy in Africa since 2000: An Update on the Pertinent Issues
Maame Adwoa A. Gyekye-Jandoh

Abstract
This paper first addresses elections and their importance for democracy. It then gives an overview of elections in Sub-Saharan Africa since the 1990s, a decade that marked the end of the Cold War and ushered in what has been termed the “third wave of democracy” (Huntington 1991). Third, it hones in on elections in Africa since 2000, and highlights five major challenges for African elections in the present. Fourth, Ghana is used as an example of credible election management, with a focus on key requisites for free and fair elections that are acceptable to masses and elites. It nevertheless highlights some recent election management problems in Ghana. Finally, it shows the way forward to meaningful elections in Africa with eight recommendations.

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