Africa’s second round of elections all set for August

As the second half of 2016 beckons, Africa can look back to a busy first half that saw the continent focused on a mixed bag of often dramatic elections and referendums.

As matters stand, the election of former coup leader Azali Assoumani as the president of Comoros marked the end of a series of riveting polls, many of which were controversial.

In Comoros, what turned out to be a tight race saw  Assoumani garner  41.43 per cent of the ballots cast. He is to be sworn into office on Thursday.

As for the rest of Africa, a welcome hiatus is now in place, giving the continent a whiff of fresh air as it refocuses on socio-economic and security matters before the beginning of another poll season that kicks off in August.

There is still a lot of internal politicking, though, as campaigns are already heating up in countries like Zambia.

As matters stand, the country will hopefully hold an election on August 11. President Edgar Lungu faces a tough opposition. 

An unusually crowded month in Africa’s electoral calendar, August is also expected to see a presidential election in Cape Verde.

The tiny country recently held credible parliamentary polls won by the opposition.

Also due in August is a presidential election in Gabon, a country with a history of unabashed vote-fixing, and where the Bongo dynasty will be going all out to remain in power.

Evidently, though, incumbent Ali Ben Bongo Odimba, the heir of Omar Bongo, will not be having it easy.  

In the meantime, there is uncertainty regarding a presidential election set to be held in Somalia, also in August.

In fact the jury is still out about whether the perennially unstable country will  be able to mount an election.

As for the Democratic Republic of Congo, a still uncertain presidential poll is supposed to be held in November.

However, the political turbulence prevailing in the country has raised fears that the poll may not be held.

In recent times, that prospect has become all too real as President Joseph Kabila, who assumed power in 2001, has been accused of resorting to tricks  in a bid to have the poll postponed.

Borrowing a leaf from such veterans of the African political scene as Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir and his own wily neighbour, Dennis Sassou-Ngueso of the Republic of Congo, Kabila seems to be hell-bent on serving a new term.

Indications, however, are that Kabila — who like Gabon’s Bongo inherited his country’s  presidency from his father Laurent Desiré Kabila —  is unlikely to be sitting easy for long.

Already, he is being kept on toes by a formidable and seemingly united opposition fronted by its flagbearer, Moise Katumbi, who is widely recognised as the leading contender for the presidency.

The world can still look forward to other polls slated for different dates in November. Among them will be Ghana.

Also awaited is the planned presidential poll in Gambia, where Yahya Jammeh will by all predictions be trying to tighten his grip on power.