From the perspective of the United States or Europe, the history of open and representative elections in Africa may seem recent and even shallow. However, the concepts of participation and social involvement, together with cultural conventions aimed at producing consensus at the community level, are deeply embedded in much of African society. Individuals recognized for their ability and commitment attain positions of authority through respect for their contribution to society.
Though electoral democracy based on majority voting systems has now become established throughout much of Africa, what may be deemed as a democratic process by Western standards is not something that is mature on the continent. For example, during the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994 considerable international resources and effort needed to be expended to educate all sectors of the population on the process of transparent candidate selection, open campaigning and secret voting.
Most people involved with Internet functionality are likely to be more aware of the functioning of "western-style" elections, and this was reflected in the way that the African ALM participated in the election process. However, such cultural variables should be taken into account when next organizing similar elections, especially if broader participation is the goal; the assumption that the "western" way is the only way needs to be tempered with mechanisms that recognize the need for dialogue and consensus building if they are to be acknowledged as legitimate.
At the macro level, limited access to the Internet and the lack of familiarity with the mechanics of "western-style" elections overwhelmed the nuances of the ALM election process within the African context-though this does not diminish the importance of the involvement of Africa for the legitimacy of the At Large election.
| 2.2.1.1.1 Internet use | 2.2.1.2 At-Large Membership and Election |
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