Many municipal politicians identify strongly with a political party, but some don’t. In fact, more than a quarter of municipal politicians are genuine non-partisans, with no party affiliation.
President Tayyip Erdogan and his party suffered their biggest electoral blow in a nationwide local vote that reasserted the opposition as a political force.
Citizens have been denied their right to elect officials at the grassroots and this has allowed the central government to maintain rigid control of the country’s regions.
Brexit has particular significance for the 757 British citizens currently elected in France, whose mandates expire at the upcoming mayoral elections in March.
After two decades of political dominance, the electoral performance of the ANC is at its lowest since it became the governing party of South Africa in 1994. But is the party really unraveling?
Famously freewheeling – but also violent and unequal – Rio de Janeiro has elected a right-wing former pentecostal bishop as mayor. What’s at stake for this ‘gay, black and tolerant’ Brazilian city?
Many municipalities in the South Africa don’t function properly because of poor management and administrative capacity. They don’t have enough appropriately qualified and experienced staff.
Patronage and clientelism is slipping away from the ANC and accruing to those who pledge their political futures to the Democratic Alliance. It will have to guard against incumbency arrogance.
The ruling ANC has been seriously challenged by the Democratic Alliance, but South African politics is still about white privilege and black exclusion.
South Africa’s university students have shown that they can have an impact on the political landscape. That’s why it’s so important that they exercise their right to vote.
The increase in rioting ahead of municipal elections in South Africa, such as that in Pretoria, suggests that the country’s general election in 2019 could be more violent than previous elections.
The brouhaha over South Africa’s upcoming high-stakes municipal elections hides critically important questions about the continued relevance of local government amid growing public disaffection.
Understandable anger about the excessive inequality in South Africa lies at the heart of the rise of the radical Economic Freedom Fighters. The problem is how the party wants to address these issues.