Democratisation Process
Senior 3 · History and Citizenship
Democratisation Process
Lesson 3 of 3
20 min
Rwanda belongs to the East African Community (EAC), which it joined, together with Burundi, in 2007. All the EAC states have moved towards multiparty democracy since 1990, but by different roads and at different speeds. Study Figure 1 and Table 1, then decide what the countries have in common and how they differ.
Figure 1. Each state followed its own path and timetable. Dates from the Wikipedia articles in the credits.
| Country | Turning points | Features of the system today |
|---|---|---|
| Kenya | Multiparty politics restored in 1991; violence after the December 2007 election; new Constitution approved by referendum in August 2010 | Devolved government with 47 counties; a Bill of Rights; a two-chamber parliament |
| Tanzania | Multiparty system restored in 1992; first multiparty general elections in 1995 | A union of mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar, which has its own government |
| Uganda | Constitution of 1995; a referendum in 2005 restored multiparty politics; multiparty elections in 2006 | Elected local councils; seats reserved for women and other groups |
| Burundi | The Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement of 28 August 2000 ended a long civil war; Constitution of 2005 | Power-sharing rules written into the Constitution |
| Rwanda | Constitution of 2003, revised in 2015 (Lesson 2) | Power-sharing rules; at least 30% women in decision-making organs; reserved seats; decentralisation and home-grown institutions |
Table 1. Five East African Community states compared. Facts only; sources in the credits.
Definition
Sub-region: a part of a continent, such as East Africa or the Great Lakes region.
Devolution: a strong form of decentralisation in which elected regional or county governments have their own powers and budgets, as in Kenya since 2010.
Power-sharing: rules that make sure different groups or parties share government, to prevent one side from holding all power.
Election observers: independent people, from a country or from organisations such as the African Union and the EAC, who watch an election and report on whether it was free and fair.
The African Union's African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, adopted in 2007, sets common standards for its members, and the African Union and the EAC send observers to member states' elections. Democratisation is therefore not only a national process but also a regional one.
Worked example: comparing two countries
Question: Compare the democratisation process in Rwanda and Kenya. (6 marks)
Similarities. Both have adopted constitutions by referendum (Rwanda in 2003, Kenya in 2010); both hold multiparty elections organised by an electoral commission; both reserve seats for women.
Difference 1. Kenya's 2010 Constitution created devolved government with 47 counties; Rwanda decentralised through districts, sectors, cells and villages.
Difference 2. Rwanda's Constitution includes power-sharing rules between political organisations and home-grown institutions; Kenya's reforms followed the post-election violence of 2007 to 2008.
Use "both", "whereas" and "while", and give a date or article for each point.
Tip
Compare with a grid. Before writing, draw a quick table: indicators down the side (elections, inclusion, decentralisation, power-sharing) and countries across the top. Fill in facts, then write similarities first and differences second.
Warning
Compare facts, not reputations. Don't rank countries or leaders by opinion. Use dates, constitutions and institutions, and keep a neutral tone; that is what "compare" means in an exam.
The EAC aims to bring its members closer together. Should countries in a region share common democratic standards, or should each country choose its own path? Give reasons for your view.
Practice
Further reading
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
