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2020 presidential elections in Africa. A look at the interesting year that was.
By Polls Africa
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Africa got to host a number of important presidential and general elections in 2020, that were a mix of the desirable and the undesirable. From Malawi where the court historically overturned a presidential election and ordered a repeat to Ivory Coast where President Alassane Ouattara exploited a constitutional loophole and was elected for a third term in office.
In Summary
Who won where?
2020 Presidential elections and outcomes
Country
The elected President
Presidential term
Togo
Faure Gnassingbé
Union for the Republic (UPR)
4th and controversial
Guinea
Alpha Condé
Rally of the Guinean People (RPG)
3rd and controversial
Burundi
Évariste Ndayishimiye
CNDD–FDD
1st
Malawi
Lazarus Chakwera
Malawi Congress Party (MCP)
1st
Seychelles
Wavel Ramkalawan
Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS)
1st
Tanzania
John Magufuli
Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM)
2nd
Ivory Coast
Alassane Ouattara
Rally of Houphouëtists for Democracy and Peace (RHDP)
3rd and controversial
Burkina Faso
Roch Marc Christian Kaboré
People's Movement for Progress (MPP)
2nd
Ghana
Nana Akufo-Addo
New Patriotic Party (NPP)
2nd
Niger
Elections held on 27 December 2020. No winner in the first round. A second round will therefore be held on 21 February 2021
Central African Republic
Elections held on 27 December 2020. The winner was yet to be announced by the time we published this article.
The good and the discouraging
If that was the test, Africa both passed and failed. Presidents Allassane Ouattara of Ivory Coast and Alpha Condé of Guinea both run for and won controversial third terms in office, through contested constitution changes or interpretations. President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo was re-elected for his fourth term, again after constitutional amendments approved in May 2019. These cases did not in any way register as a win for democracy in the continent in 2020.
The verdict of election observers in Tanzania reported widespread irregularities across the country both mainland Tanzania and the island of Zanzibar. Internet and social media was blocked in the days leading to the 29 October elections, not to mention the alleged harassment of opposition members. For a country that has been a beacon of peace across the region, this was an unfortunate step in the opposite direction.
Noteworthy positive events took place in Malawi where elections of 23 June were annulled and the opposition candidate, the now President Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) won the repeat election. Malawi is the only second country to cancel a presidential election and order a repeat after Kenya in 2017. Malawi’s case is proof that the important bold precedent set by Kenya is practicable when it comes to organizing free and fair elections in the continent.
Only 2 countries where presidential elections have been annulled in Africa
Kenya
2017 elections annulled. Incumbent won in repeat elections
Malawi
2020 elections annulled. Incumbent lost in repeat elections.
Niger gave the continent another win after incumbent president Mahamadou Issoufou who completes his second term in 2021, decided to respect the constitutional limit of two terms. For a country that is experiencing its first peaceful transition of power since independence, the action of President Issoufou is historical to say the least.
Having given a summary of 2020, we now turn our attention to 2021 with anticipation of what the year heralds for democracy in Africa. For a start we look at what to expect in the 2021 election calendar in our next publication.