February 27, 2020
Project Syndicate published an op-ed by Senior Research Fellows Bob Baulch and Danielle Resnick. The op-ed discusses Malawi’s litigated general elections and compares it to re-run elections held in other African countries. The authors suggest four lessons for young African democracies in a contested election scenario: 1) have new elections relatively quickly; 2) building coalitions can provide legitimacy, but election fraud must be addressed; 3) consistent donor interventions to support elections, and 4) authorities must proactively deal with unrest and political polarization prior to the re-run election.
Read the op-ed here.
