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Don’t let covid-19 kill democracy

Suspending elections amid the pandemic could erode African democracy unless the
right steps are taken, argue Alan Doss, special adviser, Kofi Annan Foundation, and Mo
Ibrahim, founder, Mo Ibrahim Foundation

The virus is no excuse to ignore sound electoral practice

THE PANDEMIC in Africa is not just a crisis of public health or of the economy. It could
well become a political emergency that threatens the democratic progress that
countries across the continent have achieved in recent years.

Africa is poorly placed to deal with the pandemic. Only a few countries have social
safety-nets and the fiscal space to cushion the impact of the severe economic recession
that both the IMF and World Bank have predicted. Millions of people have already lost