An unlikely success
South Africa and Lesotho's election of 2002
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5115927 |
|---|---|
| Authors | R Southall (0000-0001-5635-9096, Human Sciences Research Council, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2003 |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 269-296 |
| Publication date | 2003-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Modern African Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-278X • E-ISSN: 1469-7777 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0022278x03004233 |
| OpenAlex | W1900917666 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 16 |
| References cited | 2 |
The Mbeki government's failure to take action against the blatantly undemocratic behaviour of the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe, despite its commitment to the peer review mechanism proposed under the New Partnership for African Development, is highlighted by South Africa's armed intervention into Lesotho to quell post-electoral disturbances in 1998. Although initially accompanied by immense controversy, the South African military and diplomatic involvement was to prove crucial to a restructuring of Lesotho's previously recalcitrant Defence Force, and to the promotion of inter-party negotiations that led to the adoption of a new and more appropriate electoral system. Alongside other international pressures, these initiatives led to a further election in 2002, whose undoubtedly legitimate outcome appears to have laid firm foundations for democratic consolidation and stability. Despite this 'unlikely success', and despite its formal commitment to an idealist foreign policy, the South African government has consciously downplayed its role in promoting democracy in Lesotho. The article argues that this is because of the exceptionality of that country, and South Africa's reluctance to have the use of force used as a precedent by its critics for cajoling it into adopting a more activist stance for dealing with the more complex situation in Zimbabwe
Consolidation (business) · Democracy · Development economics · Economics · Foreign policy · General partnership · Government (linguistics) · Intervention (counseling) · Negotiation · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Restructuring · Sociology · African studies and sociopolitical issues · International Development and Aid · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Public Administration
A framework for the systematic study of election quality
Alternatives for electoral reform in Kenya
Democracy from above
The Politics of Electoral Reform
The 2012 General Elections in Lesotho
Understanding South Africa’s Changing Positions on International Criminal Justice
The US, France and military roles in the African ‘gap’
Election Processes and Problems in Weak (and Less Weak) States
Democracy from Above
Between Competing Paradigms
The limits of democratization through a regional hegemon
Judging elections and election management quality by process
Explaining the Enforcement of Democracy by Regional Organizations
Redrawing the Map of Southern Africa? A Critical Analysis of the Arguments for the Unification of South Africa and Lesotho
Electoral institutions, partisan status, and political support in Lesotho
South Africa in Africa
| Unique citing works | 16 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,7 |
| Citation span | 2003 - 2020 (18) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 13 |