Study Finds that HIV/AIDS Threatens Democracy in Africa
By Daniel Hollingsworth
June 6, 2007 | Printer Friendly

A study released by the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA) claims that the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa poses a threat to the prospects for democracy in Africa.  IDASA found that elected officials in several African countries have been killed by the disease at an alarming rate, and it identified several political implications that have developed from this health crisis.

Due to the stigma that is attached to HIV/AIDS, few deaths of public officials are openly attributed to the disease, so the IDASA study primarily examined the differences in mortality rates for elected officials before and after the onset of the crisis.  Reuters reports that according to Kondwani Chirambo, head of the governance and AIDS program at IDASA, "Our findings have shown there has been a sharp rise in the number of elected leaders that have died prematurely of illness… If you compare the trends before the onset of the pandemic and after, we do see that patterns of death mimic the mortality pattern of the general population.”  One example from the study, reported by the BBC is Zambia: from 1964-84, only 6% of by-elections were held due to the death of the official.  Over the next ten years, this statistic shot up to 60%.  In Malawi, 31 officials died between 1994 and 2006, and the study reports that 28 of these deaths are confirmed to be caused by the disease.

While the severity of the crisis on African populations has been discussed at great length, this study focuses on the many complications the situation places on democratic processes.  It attributes political power shifts and strains on treasuries from organizing frequent by-elections to the onset of the pandemic.  The BBC adds that “constituencies are being left without MPs, the voter's roll is bloated with the names of people who have died and parties lose some of their most able and effective campaigners.”  Since most sub-Saharan African countries use the “first-past-the-post” or “Westminster” system for elections, positions that are vacated for any reason must be filled with new elections.  IDASA writes that a single by-election can often cost as much as half a million US dollars.  These elections are not included in annual budgets, so the funding is reallocated from other services, which can have debilitating effects in countries already dependent on external aid.  Additionally, posts often remained unfilled for significant periods of time, resulting in a lack of participation and political voice for the officials’ former constituencies.  The study also identified the onset of “election fatigue” from the frequency of elections in many regions.  This fatigue, along with the high costs of frequent campaigning, gives an electoral advantage to larger and ruling parties that have financial and institutional advantages, resulting in the consolidation of power in the hands of those who already have the most access to political resources.

References:

Institute for Democracy in South Africa: HIV/AIDS threatens the health of African democracies

Reuters: AIDS poses new threat to African democracy

BBC News: HIV affecting African democracy