Political inclusion and parliamentary changes among thirteen states in the former British Africa

Abstract

Since their independence, substitute versions of ‘African presidentialism' have replaced what were earlier largely Westminster-style parliamentary systems in 11 of the 13 ‘Anglo-African' states whose constitutions were examined. But several ‘hybrid' features of African presidentialism presently found in a majority of these eleven cases now likely soften from the standpoint of political inclusion, suggested negative consequences of the above (ordinarily profound) constitutional transition from a parliamentary to a presidential form of government. Still, it is argued, these new systems in general could well support a less effective and less inclusive interface than formerly between aggregated popular desires in the legislatures and executive-government ‘outputs' – this notwithstanding, a significant growth occurring since independence in the number of elected members among the 13 legislatures considered.

Africa Insight Vol. 36 (2) June 2006: 7-24