International Election Monitoring: The African Experience

Democracy in Africa, s elsewhere, is in something of a crisis. This has prompted an agonizing reappraisal of the role elections play in the consolidation of democracy and, in particular, of the contribution of independent election observers to that process. This article assesses critically the performance of election monitors witin the context of broader international efforts to promote democratic norms in Africa. It explores the evolution and operationalization of the practice, identifies and evaluates the functions undertaken, and anlayses the deficiencies revealed in the light of current critiques. It concludes with some prescriptions as to how the process might be improved and the credibility of monitoring restored.