Nic Cheeseman, a professor of Democracy at the University of Birmingham, explains how to hold elections safely and uphold democracy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cheeseman was formerly the Director of the African Studies Centre at the University of Oxford. In addition to a number of book chapters and articles, he …
Read More »BOOK REVIEW: African leaders are more constrained by democratic rules than you think
Kampala, Uganda | NIC CHEESEMAN | Africa is often imagined to be a place in which presidents can do whatever they want, unencumbered by constitutional or democratic constraints. A large body of literature has developed around the idea that the law can be flouted at will, leading to a situation …
Read More »COMMENT: African leaders and democracy
Why it is not true that African presidents can do whatever they want, unencumbered by democratic constraints COMMENT | NIC CHEESEMAN | Africa is often imagined to be a place in which presidents can do whatever they want, unencumbered by constitutional or democratic constraints. A large body of literature has developed …
Read More »Rwanda’s development model
Why it wouldn’t work elsewhere in Africa Kampala, Uganda | NIC CHEESEMAN | Rwanda is often touted as an example of what African states could achieve if only they were better governed. Out of the ashes of a horrific genocide, President Paul Kagame has resuscitated the economy, curtailed corruption and maintained …
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