Africa Day Statement: Promoting Freedom, Participation and Democracy

The year 2024 is Africa’s election year with 19 countries having some form of Electoral processes. Upcoming Africa elections: A list;

https://africanarguments.org/2024/05/africa-elections-all-upcoming-votes/.

Here are the upcoming elections in list form. The exact dates are liable to change.

 May 2024

•  6 May 2024: Chad – Presidential

• 29 May 2024: South Africa – National Assembly + Local

• 29 May 2024: Madagascar – Parliamentary

 June 2024

• 22 June 2024: Chad – Presidential (run-off, if necessary)

• 29 June 2024: Mauritania – Presidential + Senate

 July 2024

• 14 July 2024: Mauritania – Presidential (run-off, if necessary)

• 15 July 2024: Rwanda – Presidential + National Assembly

 Unconfirmed and beyond

• 9 October 2024: Mozambique – Presidential + National Assembly + Local

• October 2024: Chad – National Assembly + Local

• By October 2024: Botswana – National Assembly + Local

• By October 2024: Tunisia – Presidential

• November 2024: Somaliland – Presidential

• November 2024: Guinea Bissau – Presidential

• November 2024: Namibia – Presidential + National Assembly

• 7 December 2024: Ghana – Presidential + National Assembly

• December 2024: South Sudan – Presidential + National Assembly + Local

• 2024: Cabo Verde – Local

• 2024 (delayed from February): Mali – Presidential

• 2024: Mauritius – General

• 2024: Algeria – Presidential

In line with the theme for the 2024 Commemorations, “Education Fit for the 21st Century”; as the Election Resource Centre, we believe that civic education and voter education (which includes promoting the democratic Constitutions and the rule of law) must be supported by Governments, the Election Management Bodies as well as Civil Society to realize the much needed economic, social and political transformation.

• We continue to call for genuine elections that are hinged on the principles of free, fair, peaceful and credible elections. These elections are moments to promote unity,  multipartism, individual freedoms, inclusion, good governance and democratic principles as enshrined in the African Charter on Human and People Rights (ACHPR).

• We plead with fellow Africans to actively participate in democratic processes such as elections thereby celebrating their political freedoms and having a voice in governance for their holistic development and transformation

• We have developed a tool, the Election Credibility Index (ECI) that seeks to assist electoral stakeholders in improving the quality of elections while ensuring electoral outcomes are credible and acceptable.

• We urge Governments to uphold the will of the people as expressed through elections and support peaceful and Constitutional transitions.

It is important to re-emphasize that freedom, equality, justice and dignity are essential values for the attainment of the aspirations of Africans as contained in the ACHPR preamble.

Africa Day 2024 Press Statement.docx