The 2004 South African Elections: End of the Transition?

A seminar Organised by the South Africa Programme

Speaker: Denis Kadima, Director, Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA)

Discussant:Liv Tørres, Adviser, Norwegian Research Council

Date: 30 March 2004 (Tuesday), 1 – 3 pm

Venue: Norwegian Centre for Human Rights seminar room, 4th floor,

Universitetsgt. 22-24 (entrance by Norli Bookstore)

As South Africa's third national election approaches, the presentation is intended to identify, reflect on and debate what issues are central to this third election. Of central concern is the question of whether these elections will be fought from a platform of South Africa's continued transition to democracy or whether it will be assumed that consolidation of democracy has occurred during the past ten years.  The seminar will seek to address how this question will inform citizen participation in politics.

Contact: Lalaine Sadiwa Stormorken, Programme Director, South Africa Programme, NCHR, phone: 22842031, fax 22 842002, email:l.s.stormorken at nchr.uio.no

EISA is a non-profit organization established in 1996, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Its mission is to strengthen electoral processes, good governance, human rights and democratic values through research, capacity building, advocacy and other targeted interventions. The Institute services governments, electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organizations and other institutions operating in the democracy and governance fields throughout the SADC region and beyond.

Denis Kadima is currently the Executive Director of EISA. In 2001 and 2002, he worked for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) as Programme Manager in Windhoek, Namibia and Country Director in Lesotho. He has published extensively in the field of elections, democracy and governance and has also been involved in regional efforts towards the development of common electoral standards and norms.

Liv Tørres holds a PhD in political science, and has done research in the following areas: labour markets and trade unionism, development and democratization, globalization and international institutions, and gender. A big part of her work has focused on southern Africa. She was Research Director at the Labour International Think Tank (FAFO) and currently works as Adviser at the Norwegian Research Council.