| This dissertation makes a meaningful contribution to our understanding of the recent 'wave' of democratization in Africa in the 1990s. It does this by presenting a case study of Ghana's gradual democratization in the 1990s through 2004. This gradual democratization has been the result of three main factors: the international community, civil society, and electoral reform. Evidence is provided to support the thesis that Ghana's gradual democratization was the result of a two-stage interactive process involving the international community that influenced the Rawlings-PNDC government, in the first stage (1980s to 1992), towards transition to democracy in 1992.; In the second stage, civil society groups pushed the democratic process forward, from 1992 through 2004, through domestic monitoring activities that hindered fraud and enhanced the credibility and transparency of elections, very important for the fact that disputed and flawed elections have derailed many a democratic process in Africa. The substantial electoral reforms carried out by the Electoral Commission in the second stage hindered fraud, and boosted public confidence in, and acceptance of, election results, immensely complementing the efforts of civil society and the international community. This promoted political stability and contributed to an electoral turnover in 2000. A key finding is the reality of the importance of international donor funding for civil societal activities and elections (thus to support democratization) for Ghana and other African countries at least in the short term.; The study demonstrates, most importantly, that contrary to the more dominant theory in the democratization literature that successful democratic transitions are usually 'pacted' ones with considerable strategic maneuverings by, the political elite, rather structural and contingent factors may be more important for countries trying to democratize or that have experienced failed transitions. The study thereby raises the need for the inclusion of more cases from all regions of the world in theorizing on democratization, and for the recognition that different sets of variables may explain democratization in different regions of the world. |
