Call for Papers: Party Constitutionalisation and Constitutionalism in Sub-Saharan Africa

They hereby invite all scholars and other persons interested in research in this area to submit a proposal on the broad theme of the constitutionalisation of political parties in Sub-Saharan Africa and the impact this has had on democracy and constitutionalism.

Sub- Themes

• The paper proposals can fall within or cut across any of the following four sub-themes:
  • International standards and global trends
    • Broad international and global trends in the constitutionalisation of political parties that may have influenced post-1990 developments in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • General context
    • Historical overview and evolution of political party constitutionalisation in Sub-Saharan Africa and standards set by the African Union and its Regional Economic Communities.
  • Comparative studies on the constitutional framework
    • Comparatives studies on political parties and governments in Sub-Saharan Africa; political parties and governance in Sub-Saharan Africa; opposition parties in Sub-Saharan Africa: their roles, rights and recognition; and political parties, gender and governance in Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Country case studies
    • In-depth country cases studies on political party constitutionalisation in anglophone African countries (e.g., Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Zimbabwe), francophone African countries (e.g., Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Rwanda, Senegal) or lusophone and hispanophone African countries (e.g., Angola, Mozambique, Equatorial Guinea)
    • Case studies should address the following aspects:
      • The constitutional and statutory regulatory framework in place: Has this provided an impartial and neutral framework for people to freely join or form political parties?
      • Does the regulatory framework recognise and protect political parties? Are political parties involved in election matters, e.g., in electoral management bodies?
      • How have political parties evolved since the re-introduction of multipartyism to date? If a dominant party exists, to what extent is it able to capture and control state resources?
      • Does the regulatory framework ensure that there is internal democracy within political parties?
      • What are the main regulatory authorities, and have they discharged their functions in an objective and neutral manner?
      • How does the funding of political parties work – private and/or public?
      • What have been the main challenges that have prevented political parties from playing an effective role in the governance of the country?
      • What are the prospects for the future and what are the wider implications of these aspects for the state of democracy?

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