Independent Electoral Commission in Tanzania: A False Debate?

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorMakulilo, Alexander B.
dc.date.accessioned2016-05-09T20:12:08Z
dc.date.available2016-05-09T20:12:08Z
dc.date.issued2009
dc.descriptionFull text can be accessed at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00344890903257409en_US
dc.description.abstractThe electoral discourse in Africa today is dominated by the question of the ‘independence’ of an electoral management body as one of the prerequisites for free and fair elections. The central issue in the discourse is ‘what constitutes the basic tests of an independent body’. By overemphasising the structures and legal framework of an electoral body, institutionalists assume that the actors and the electoral body are distinctive. Drawing from the ‘institution‐actor dichotomy’ frame of analysis, this article argues that both the structure and behaviour of actors are essential in assessing the independence of an institution. Using Tanzania as a country case example, this article argues that the National Election Commission (NEC) does not pass the basic tests of an independent institution and hence its credibility is questionable for the key stakeholders. For NEC to be independent and autonomous, major reforms not only for the body but also for the entire political system and culture are needed in line with competitive politics.en_US
dc.identifier.citationMakulilo, A.B., 2009. Independent electoral commission in Tanzania: a false debate?. Representation, 45(4), pp.435-453.en_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1080/00344890903257409
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/1922
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherTaylor and Francisen_US
dc.titleIndependent Electoral Commission in Tanzania: A False Debate?en_US
dc.typeJournal Articleen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Independent electoral commission in Tanzania.pdf
Size:
204.1 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
abstract
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Department of Political Science and Public Administration