Richard Dowden
Richard Dowden is Director of the Royal Africa Society and author of Africa. Altered States, Ordinary Miracles (2008). He first went to Africa in 1971 as a volunteer teacher in Idi Amin's Uganda, before being forced to leave at the end of 1972. He worked for the Times (London) from 1980, often reporting from Africa, until 1986 when he became Africa Editor of the Independent and in 1995 took up the post of Africa Editor at The Economist. He has also made several television documentaries for the BBC and Channel 4 on Africa and is an analyst and commentator on African issues.
Posts by Richard Dowden:
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009
Ghana’s extraordinary election last December was not just about Ghana. Two decades after the return of multi party democracy to Africa – in some cases its arrival – first-past-the-post, winner takes all electoral democracy is in trouble in Africa. African states suffer all the usual disadvantages of electoral democracy; the sheer expense of elections, the temptation for governments to let loose the purse strings as they come up for re-election and the lack of continuity and experience among suddenly-appointed ministers.
Read the rest of African Democracy.
Posted in Democracy | 7 Comments » |
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