In broad terms, the consequences of election-related violence may include the following:
§ Undermined civil and political rights and human suffering - These range from the disfranchisement through deprivation of citizens’ or groups’ rights to vote and compete, to the psychological, physical and sexual violence that specific groups–particularly women– may suffer, with short and long-term consequences for the victims and for their families and communities.
§ Diminished trust in democratic processes and institutions – Electoral violence reproduces repressive and non-democratic power structures including patriarchal repression in the institutional space. It doesn’t only diminish trust in democratic processes, it undermines the quality of democracy both directly (repressing/killing voters, candidates, etc) and indirectly (limited inclusive participation) as well as through public perceptions of legitimacy.. In some contexts, elections have already become synonymous with trouble and danger. Such associations have devastating effects on trust in democratic processes and institutions.
Economic implications - Elections are the largest administrative undertakings in democratic societies, and consequently the costs associated with elections may represent a major financial burden. In some cases, governments are unable to finance elections and depend on international electoral assistance. In addition, electoral competition and election monitoring involve significant expenditures for political parties, and domestic and international monitoring groups. Election-related violence will not only squander those resources but will further cause destruction of local communities and infrastructure with numerous negative economic and developmental consequences, both direct and indirect. For example, the Association of Kenyan Manufacturers estimates that Kenyan economy suffered the loss of $3.7 billion as a consequence of the outbreak of election-related violence in 2007-08. In addition, 400,000 jobs were put at risk (Voice of America 2009). Before the outbreak of violence, Kenya was East Africa’s economic leader and the economies of other countries in the region relied heavily on its infrastructure. Kimani (2008, 3) describes how the entire region (including Burundi, DRC, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda) suffered disruptions to imports and exports and increased prices of commodities. Relief organisations that provide aid to seven million refugees and displaced people in the region faced tremendous logistical and security challenges in fulfilling their mandates. In the long run, the crisis also affected investors’ confidence and reduced the gross domestic product of the region (Alihodzic, 2012:57).[1]
[1] Alihodžić, S. (2012). ‘Electoral Violence Early Warning and Infrastructures for Peace’, Journal of Peacebuilding & Development, 7:3, 54-69, DOI: 10.1080/15423166.2013.767592
