In certain cases, after an agreement, transitional institutions were set up, a constitution was drafted, enacted, and finally, pluralistic elections were organized in more or less free and transparent conditions, and their results were either accepted or rejected by those concerned. The formal democratization process has been more or less successful in most of the African countries which undertook it with the help of the appropriate United Nations agencies such as the UNDP and the UN Elections Secretariat, and that of the old Western democracies in particular. In other countries, the failure or interruption of the process simply led to the reinstatement of autocratic regimes backed by the army as in Nigeria, Togo, Zaire and Niger, or repressive legal and constitutional regimes as in Kenya and Cameroon. The major consequences of these failed attempts at transition are the refusal to relinquish power, concerns about the place and role of the army in political life, the political maturity of the parties and leaders seeking power, and, to a certain extent, the direct or indirect role of foreign powers. Several countries have representative assemblies which vote laws and hold the government accountable.
Pluralistic elections are an important element of a formal democratization process.
Between 1991 and 1996, such elections were organized in more than forty African countries. For example, after a seven-year transition process, the last elections in Nigeria were annulled in 1993 even before the results were released. Despite these imperfections, pluralistic elections enable citizens to choose between individuals and parties who claim to be different, and make it possible to settle differences peacefully. This universal democratic tool is also valid for Africa. The second phenomenon which characterizes the period under review is the emergence, redefinition, restructuring and massive mobilization of civil society.