Over the past five years alone, elections in several Africa countries have spiraled into unrest and eroded public trust in democracy in places like Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mozambique, Cameroon or Tanzania. Why is that, and what must change to stop it?

Recent presidential elections in Cameroon led to violence and widespread allegations of vote manipulation, with many citizens questioning the legitimacy of the results that extended President Paul Biya's long tenure. Analysts highlight that such concerns are not isolated, as similar disputes have occurred in countries like Mozambique, Tanzania, Côte d'Ivoire, and Guinea, often due to incumbents' dominance over electoral processes and institutions.

Surveys indicate a steady decline in Africans' belief that elections ensure fair representation, particularly among younger voters, contributing to rising voter apathy. Experts stress the need for urgent reforms and stronger, independent political institutions to restore trust in democracy and prevent further instability.

Are elections in parts of Africa eroding trust in democracy?

Violence erupted in Cameroon when presidential election results favoured incumbent Paul Biya in October. Biya, the constitutional council said, secured 53.66% of the vote, defeating Issachiro Mabakari of the opposition, who garnered 35.19%. Cameroon's long-time leader is now set to remain in power for seven more years, and the completion of the term would take him close to his 100th birthday. Electoral officials insist that the vote was free, fair and credible, but many voters are questioning the credibility of the process, with Chiroma supporters saying outright that the election was stolen. We voted and we know that the majority of Cameroonians voted for Mr Issachiroma, but today they are declaring the opposite, telling us that certain voting records were falsified and even in the polling station where we voted, we are receiving messages that contradict the reports we had at the time of counting. It's truly regrettable. Analysts say such concerns are not unwarranted. There has been ballot stuffing and of course we've seen how there has been a lot of issues in tallying votes, especially in most remote areas in Africa. So how can such issues that breed mistrust, dispute and protest be resolved? Welcome to the flip side. Multiparty democracy is no longer a head-off in Africa, and elections that are meant to strengthen it have done just that, and in the broader sense, the gains have been obvious. Despite flaws, democracy has brought real progress. We have seen more engaged civil society, free media spaces and youth movement holding leaders accountable, citizens who are increasingly aware of their rights and who are not afraid to demand transparency. But every now and then, what should be a straightforward exercise in democracy where voters choose their leaders descends into dispute and unrest. Just recently, there was a disputed election in Mozambique, and scenarios not unlike what is now being seen in Tanzania and Cameroon have played out in countries like Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea in the past too. So why the did mistrust about the electoral process? Elections in many African countries have become more like rituals of legitimacy rather than genuine choices. So I think the challenge is more structural. In most cases, incumbents dominate the process from start to finish, controlling institutions, electoral commissions, the media and sometimes even the courts. People are not rejecting democracy, but they are rejecting processes that are empty and that do not translate into change. A recent Afrobarometer survey showed that the number of Africans who believe elections to ensure fair representation has steadily declined since 2008. Most still prefer elections, but many young Africans especially feel that current systems fail to deliver. I want the election process to be transparent, they should vote online. When they vote online, when you vote for a person, you cast a vote, you understand that this person has voted for this person, because now we are in the 21st century that everything passes online. The exclusion of such young voices is causing voter apathy to rise in many parts of Africa. Afrobarometer reports that non-participation in national elections went from 18.2% in 2001 to 24.7% in 2003. So what needs to happen to reverse this trend? There is a need to strengthen political institutions. You call it this institution that enhances or that are there to enhance the electioneering or the democratization process. Here we are talking about the institutions that are managing the election. There is need for that independence to exist, because in more cases you realize that the government influences some of the decisions. Countries like Cameroon have a long way to go to win back the trust of citizens when it comes to elections. And experts are warning that democracy risks imploding if urgent reforms are not forthcoming. If credibility continues to erode, elections risk becoming a source of instability rather than renewal. If citizens stop believing that their voice matters, then the democratic project will collapse from within. There is a need to reform in order to make democracy real or risk losing the progress that we have made over the past three decades. And that's the flip side.

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