Do Opposition Parties Deliver in Office?

Sep 26

Wednesday, 2 October 2024

12pm Washington D.C.
4pm Dakar
5pm London / Kinshasa / Lagos
6pm Paris / Cape Town / Cairo
7pm Nairobi

Opposition victories remain a rare feat in sub-Saharan Africa. And perhaps this is the main reason why they are widely celebrated. Most often, they are viewed – by citizens, civil society, and international donors – as evidence of the strengthening of democracy. The new leaders, having spent much of its time promising major reform if elected, are also expected to be both an immediate and long-term improvement. But do opposition parties deliver on their promises?

Recently, Malawi (2020), Zambia (2021), and Senegal (2024) provided a glimmer of hope to democrats across the continent when leaders accused of manipulating elections and undermining democracy were defeated at the ballot box. In all three countries, the quality of democracy had eroded significantly, with concerns ranging from human rights violations to attempts to remove presidential term limits. These new governments all started positively, with a reduction in repression and improvements in protections for political rights and civil liberties.

Yet all of these leaders have now been accused of stalling on their reform agendas. In Malawi, President Chakwera has weathered a storm created by the appointment of family members to high-level government and diplomatic posts amid a series of economic crises and corruption scandals. In Zambia, President Hichilema has been accused of undermining the rights of opposition parties while failing to deliver on his anti-corruption agenda. Senegal's President Faye has been in office for much less time than his counterparts, but has been derided for clamping down on media freedoms while dissolving parliament with another round of elections set for November.

This show will bring together leading researchers, civil society figures, and journalists to take stock of the latest developments in these countries -- and more -- while asking some difficult questions. Does power corrupt? Or is it structural challenges – such as inherited debt, overzealous police, and pliant courts – that create the conditions that undermine the best intentions of new leaders? Join us!