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Political Parties in Africa: Challenges for Sustained Multiparty

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Besides this report on political parties <strong>in</strong> sub-Saharan <strong>Africa</strong>, IDEA and its partners<br />

are prepar<strong>in</strong>g three sub-regional reports. The authors of these are Khabele Matlosa<br />

<strong>for</strong> Southern <strong>Africa</strong>, Michael Chege <strong>for</strong> East <strong>Africa</strong> and Said Adejumobi <strong>for</strong> West<br />

<strong>Africa</strong>. These reports are <strong>for</strong>thcom<strong>in</strong>g, May 2007, and will be found at www.idea.<br />

<strong>in</strong>t. This <strong>Africa</strong> report also draws on the drafts <strong>for</strong> the sub-regional reports and we<br />

express our gratitude to our fellow authors <strong>for</strong> their <strong>in</strong>put and cooperation.<br />

Dur<strong>in</strong>g the process of the research, IDEA and the regional and national <strong>Africa</strong>n<br />

research partners have also engaged regional and sub-regional organizations and<br />

networks <strong>in</strong> a dialogue and <strong>in</strong> the <strong>for</strong>mulation of a road map <strong>for</strong> work<strong>in</strong>g with political<br />

parties <strong>in</strong> <strong>Africa</strong> <strong>in</strong> 2007 and 2008. We would like to give special recognition to<br />

the follow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>stitutions and <strong>in</strong>dividuals <strong>for</strong> their contributions, partnerships and<br />

support to the IDEA <strong>in</strong>itiative on Research and Dialogue with <strong>Political</strong> <strong>Parties</strong>:<br />

Ambassador Emile Ognimba, Director of <strong>Political</strong> Affairs <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Africa</strong>n Union<br />

Commission; Dr Kasuka Mutukwa, Secretary General of the Southern <strong>Africa</strong>n<br />

Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum; and Dr Said Adejumobi,<br />

Senior Advisor on Governance and Democracy at the Economic Community of<br />

West <strong>Africa</strong>n States (ECOWAS).<br />

Colleagues at International IDEA who made valuable contributions to the project<br />

<strong>in</strong> its early stages are Julie Ball<strong>in</strong>gton and Kenneth Mpyisi, who have both s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />

left IDEA. Theophilius Dowet<strong>in</strong> of IDEA provided important support dur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

second half of the project, and Grace Ndungu and Naomi Effah provided much<br />

appreciated adm<strong>in</strong>istrative support.<br />

We are heavily <strong>in</strong>debted to the political parties <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Africa</strong>n countries <strong>in</strong> which<br />

this research was undertaken <strong>for</strong> their <strong>in</strong>valuable support and cooperation. The<br />

countries are Angola, Ben<strong>in</strong>, Botswana, Burk<strong>in</strong>a Faso, the Democratic Republic of<br />

the Congo (DRC), Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Gu<strong>in</strong>ea, Kenya,<br />

Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria,<br />

Senegal, Sierra Leone, South <strong>Africa</strong>, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda,<br />

Zambia and Zimbabwe. In these countries, political party leaders and cadres alike<br />

participated enthusiastically <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>terviews and dialogue workshops, and completed<br />

the questionnaires which <strong>for</strong>med the basis of this study. On many occasions they<br />

were more than will<strong>in</strong>g to share <strong>in</strong> confidence their challenges as well as mak<strong>in</strong>g<br />

various <strong>in</strong><strong>for</strong>mation material and publications available to the researchers.

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