ABSTRACT
The discussion of electoral systems and survey interest in constitutions and constitutionalism in Africa. A renewed focus Upon political structures, and the impact they have on political behaviour, has been an inevitable and necessary accompaniment of the study and processes of democratization in Africa, and of a new round of constitution-making. The wave of democracy in Africa provides an important opportunity for isolating the impact of alternative electoral systems upon political outcomes and the prospects for democracy. Democracy is dependent upon the consent of people to co-exist. Proportional representation (PR) is widely associated with parliamentarianism as providing a firmer base for democracy than plurality electoral systems because it encourages minority representation, voter participation and mutual accommodation, even in divided societies. Whereas a PR system might have encouraged parties to have looked to maximise support beyond their regional bases, the plurality electoral system would seem to have amplified, rather than diminished, political mobilization along ethnic lines.
