Online Event: Elections, Democracy, and Covid-19 in West Africa

The Covid-19 pandemic poses a significant challenge for African elections. As countries continue to practice social distancing, the realities of containing community spread of the disease present numerous hurdles to the traditional voting process. West African governments—similar to global counterparts, including the United States—will have to weigh the tradeoffs between public safety and democratic imperatives. Leaders who decide to hold planned elections risk hastening the virus’s transmission. On the other hand, the Covid-19 outbreak presents an opportunity for leaders to strengthen their grip on power, exploiting health restrictions to suppress turnout, or even delay voting.

Join the CSIS Africa Program in partnership with the Centre for Democracy and Development in Nigeria on June 9th at 8:30 am EST (1:30 pm WAT) for a discussion on future scenarios for democracy and elections in West Africa. Information on our panelists will be made available closer to the event date.

This event is made possible through CSIS general funds

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