Page 419 - Volume 2_CHANGES_merged_with links

Development Aid

“Izandla ziyagezana” - “Hands Wash Each Other”

Perceptions of Electoral Integrity Index by Country (cont.)

Scale ranges from 0-100.
Congo, Rep. 29
Burundi 24
Eq. Guinea 24
Ethiopia 24
"Electoral Integrity Worldwide," 469
Norris, Pippa., The Electoral Integrity Project,
***** ***** *****
“ Yet there is a popular perception that Africa lags behind the rest of the world in this
most nebulous of political terms. This is despite the fact that millions of people

elsewhere in the world live under regimes that can be described as authoritarian,
oppressive and undemocratic, while millions of people within Africa enjoy the benefits of

relatively good governance.
*****
A common perception is that high turnouts indicate fraud or ballot box stuffing. The
reality is complex.

A reported 89% of Rwanda's voting population cast ballots in the most recent election in
2013. The party of President Paul Kagame, who has held his position for 16 years, won
93% of the vote. Was this a sign of a country freely giving a vote of approval to a popular

leader, or a sign of coercion?
It is worth bearing in mind that 25 sub-Saharan African countries recorded voter turnouts

of more than 50% at their last election, including in those widely viewed as democratic
such as in Sierra Leone (88%), and Ghana (82%).
It's easy to judge turnout by western standards of voter apathy – turnout in the UK's

general election in 2015 was 66%; in the US, turnout is usually even lower, at 54% in 2012.
Yet younger democracies often have higher levels of political engagement, with citizens

queueing for hours to make sure their votes count.”
"Democracy in African Countries: Five Myths Explored" 470
The Guardian." (February 2016)
***** ***** *****

How relevant is Democracy to Development ?
“ The paper concludes by providing empirical evidence showing that democracy is, in fact,
a significant determinant of total factor productivity (TFP) growth between 1960 and
1990 in a cross-section of countries. But this contribution occurs only insofar as

democratic institutions are associated with greater quality of governance.