FOREWORD Elections are an important tool for promoting democratic governance in a country. They provide an opportunity for citizens to choose their leaders, ultimately determining their fate. Electoral processes test a country’s political stability, social cohesion, and the levels of tolerance for diversity. This is in addition to testing the legal tenacity of the country and its judicial institutions. However, although elections are supposed to be a source of joy and a celebration of political and social diversity, they have been a source of tears in many African countries. In some countries, elections have been the subject of coercion, violence, and manipulation, becoming more of a divisive than a unifying factor. This has, among other things, arisen from weaknesses in the safeguards in place to avoid this, including weak legal frameworks, weak judicial institutions, and the militarisation of politics. Nonetheless, some African countries have exhibited resilience. These have, despite several obstacles, been able to build effective safeguards and organised free and fair elections. This has, among other things, come because of effective legal frameworks, resilient political actors, and judicial institutions committed to uploading the law. It is against the above background that this book should be understood. The book examines the diverse approaches some African countries have taken in managing their elections. It focuses on the way the law has dealt with different matters that emerge in the electoral processes, from the pre-election period, election period, to the postelection period. Indeed, the quality of an election is determined at all stages of the electoral cycles. For instance, failure to resolve pre-election disputes can be a source of conflict that could escalate into violence. The same is the case during both the election and post-election period. The law must, therefore, provide all the necessary safeguards to resolve the disputes. This requires legal institutions that are mandated to discharge their duties in a transparent, free, and fair manner. In addition, the law must define principles and put in place systems to manage internal political party matters. It is only then that the law can support the building of strong political parties and nurture multi-party democracy. viii This book showcases the approaches that select African countries have taken in managing their elections. The well-researched and written chapters explore various issues that afflict almost all African countries. This includes the role of traditional leaders, the approach of internal party dispute resolution mechanisms, electoral management body systems and judicial approaches. In an illuminating manner, the book discusses the sticky issue of the role of technology in managing elections. The book illustrates both shortcomings and best practices. Perhaps what the book does not fully consider is whether other forms of electoral processes and justice are possible. Is it time to interrogate and problematize, and exorcise the liberal virus in our electoral processes? How can we, in our African poor apologies for liberal democracies, deal with dominance of wealth, foreign interests, technology, artificial intelligence and public relations agencies that make our citizens queue up to vote only for their will to be subverted by all these forces? Of course, this issue is tied up with the quest for alternative and radical political leadership in Africa that, going forward, will face the imperialism of the West and East. It is this leadership that will participate in dialogues about the overthrow of the unaccepted and sustainable status quo on the different planet. I would like to recommend this book to all persons and institutions involved in election management processes on the continent, especially those involved in electoral law reform, implementation of electoral laws, and adjudication of electoral disputes. The issues raised and discussed in the book should inform electoral reforms, guide effective management of electoral processes and adjudication of electoral disputes. HON DR. JUSTICE WILLY MUNYOKI MUTUNGA President, Africa Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF), Retired Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya and former President of the Supreme Court of Kenya