Analyzing civil society resistance to elite-led democratic backsliding in Africa, the article argues that the non-militant, civil society-based transitions experienced in the 1990s left a legacy of a pro-democracy cleavage that is mobilized when central constitutional rights are threatened. Building on insights from social movement theory, the paper argues that the conduct of multiparty elections at regular intervals provides an opportunity for contestation over constitutional rules, and the historical legacy of pro-democracy movements provides a mobilizing structure for civil society to organize for the protection of constitutional rights. The theoretical argument is illustrated by a comparison of the democratic trajectories in Zambia and Malawi. In both countries, incumbent elites’ have attempted to remain in power through constitutional revisions. However, processes of executive aggrandizement have been stalled by civil society mobilization that again have resulted in incumbent defeat and electoral turn-overs. Recent waves of democratic backsliding suggest that the autonomy of civil society from political parties may be a key factor for the ability of civil society to challenge autocratization. Malawi’s civil society has maintained a high degree of autonomy but in Zambia, the close cooperation between civil society and the Patriotic Front (PF) and the resulting cooptation of key civil society actors have resulted in a process of autocratization.

中文翻译：

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不要动我的宪法！民间社会对非洲多元主义政权中民主倒退的抵制

文章分析了民间社会对非洲精英领导的民主倒退的抵制，认为 1990 年代经历的非激进的、以民间社会为基础的转型留下了亲民主分裂的遗产，当中央宪法权利受到威胁时，这种分裂就会被动员起来。基于社会运动理论的见解，本文认为，定期举行多党选举为宪法规则的争论提供了机会，而民主运动的历史遗产则提供了一个动员 结构。为公民社会组织起来保护宪法权利。通过比较赞比亚和马拉维的民主轨迹来说明理论论点。在这两个国家，现任精英都试图通过修宪继续掌权。然而，行政强化进程因公民社会动员而停滞，这再次导致现任失败和选举更迭。最近的民主倒退浪潮表明，公民社会不受政党影响的自治可能是公民社会挑战专制化能力的关键因素。马拉维的民间社会一直保持高度自治，但在赞比亚，