The Lag of 21st Century Democratic Elections: In the African Union Member States

About the Book

This book explores the reasons for the uneven development of democratic elections in the Member States of the African Union. It notes the slow pace of some Member States of the Union to get on top of delivering credible elections and analyze the attempts which are being made in the 21st Century to remedy the situation.

About the Author

Carl W. Dundas, LL.B, LL.M (Lon.), Barrister-at-law (Gray’s Inn) is an Election Expert. While in the service of Jamaica, Mr. Dundas, as the Technical Adviser to a Joint Select Committee of both Houses of Parliament, which dealt with constitutional and electoral reform, eventually became the first Director of Elections 1979-80. He has extensive experience in constitution drafting, particularly the provisions relating to election management bodies. He has given technical assistance in electoral matters in many countries, including Aceh, (Indonesia), Antigua & Barbuda, Botswana, Cayman Islands, Guyana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania/Zanzibar, and Zambia; and has been assigned to observe elections in many countries, including Bangladesh, Guyana, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Malawi, Pakistan, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania/Zanzibar, and Zambia. He has also advised on election organization and management in Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, and Sierra Leone. Mr. Dundas led Commonwealth Secretariat’s electoral technical assistance missions to Guyana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania/Zanzibar, and Zambia. He carried out assignments in areas such as designing electoral frameworks for a neutral and impartial electoral management body, the establishment of instruments for the transition from a military one-party to a multiparty system, and has organised capacity-building seminars and workshops. Mr. Dundas was Chairman of the Electoral Boundary Delimitation Commission of the Cayman Islands in 2003 and 2010. As an Election Legal Consultant from 2001 to 2006, Mr. Dundas advised many election management bodies (EMBs) on reform and modernisation, including Aceh (Indonesia), Antigua & Barbuda, Botswana, Cayman Islands, Guyana, Lesotho, Liberia, Nigeria, and Tanzania. In 2006 to 2010, Mr. Dundas took up an appointment as the Chief of Party of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems’ (IFES’) and African Union Support Program (funded by USAID) to advise the African Union on the establishment of a Democracy and Electoral Assistance Unit. In 2011, he returned to private consultancy with an assignment from Commonwealth Secretariat as a consultant to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria and shortly thereafter he accepted an appointment as IFES’ Country Director in Nigeria.