- AFRINIC’s 2025 election was suspended despite no issue with proxy votes, exposing legal and procedural flaws.
- Members were left disenfranchised due to bylaws that lacked crisis-handling mechanisms.
An election meant to restore stability
Many people believed that AFRINIC’s 2025 election was an important step toward stability after three years of internal conflict and board paralysis. AFRINIC, the regional internet registry in responsible for regulating the distribution of IP addresses in Africa, was under increasing pressure to recapture institutional confidence and consume long-standing leadership positions. With hundreds of members voting online or with proxies, the election obtained a lot of attention. Many hoped that the cycle of faulty governance that had hampered AFRINIC’s operations and reputation would finally be divided by this democratic process.
However shortly after voting ended and counting started, the election was unexpectedly called off. The inability because of AFRINIC’s outdated bylaws to address what ought to have been a standard administrative inquiry was the reason for this suspension. Election officials were forced to halt the entire process because the current regulations lacked obvious protocols for tackling queries or ambiguities during the vote count.
Rather than adapting to a manageable issue, the organisation’s legal framework collapsed under pressure, invalidating hundreds of valid votes. This failure not only delayed leadership renewal but also deepened doubts about AFRINIC’s capacity to govern transparently and inclusively, threatening the future legitimacy of the organisation at a critical time for Africa’s internet infrastructure.
Valid votes, but no way forward
At the centre of the crisis was a proxy vote that complied with AFRINIC’s rules. There was no indication of forgery or ineligibility. Still, uncertainty over how it had been submitted led to internal concern. Instead of continuing the count and isolating the matter, the Election Committee chose to halt the entire process. All ballots—cast legally and in good faith—were rendered void. The committee cited procedural obligations in the bylaws, which failed to provide any flexible or proportionate response. It wasn’t the vote that broke the election. It was the legal system’s inability to cope with a minor procedural pause without collapsing the entire process.
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Breakdown in process, breakdown in trust
In spite the fact that every proxy vote was legitimate and correctly cast, the 2025 AFRINIC election was halted in the middle of the count. The community reacted adversely to the ruling, and this the Supreme Court of Mauritius later upheld. Internal concerns were raised about a single proxy submission due to procedural uncertainty rather than any violations. The Election Committee was forced to take a drastic measure—cancel the entire process—instead of resolving the issue proportionately due to AFRINIC’s antiquated bylaws. Because of this legal inflexibility, hundreds of valid votes were disregarded without justification.
Tensions increased at the Annual General Meeting. Decisions were reportedly made behind closed doors, averting some members from leaving the room. Frustration was compounded by the lack of transparency and the unclear explanation that was provided. Rural operators and smaller members, who frequently depend on proxies to cast votes were particularly impacted. Many now think that the bylaws are being used to maintain internal control as opposed to safeguard justice. The cancellation of the election served as a metaphor for how uncertain AFRINIC’s governance has become, not just a procedural error.
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Reform is now unavoidable
AFRINIC now faces a court-ordered rerun of the election by the end of September. But holding another vote without changing the rules risks repeating the same collapse. Proxy voting remains essential, especially for many members in regions with limited digital infrastructure who depend on it to participate fully. Yet the current bylaws lack the flexibility to handle procedural questions or disputes without triggering total annulment of the election. This legal rigidity undermines confidence in AFRINIC’s ability to conduct transparent and inclusive governance.
The global internet community continues to maintain an attentive eye on things. If reforms are not implemented rapidly, ICANN has already assaulted to reevaluate AFRINIC’s status. The message is clear: in order to solve contemporary issues, AFRINIC’s governance model needs to change. At a time when stable stewardship is crucial for Africa’s digital infrastructure, AFRINIC operates the risk of further eroding legitimacy and trust in the absence of significant and immediate bylaw changes that implement proportional dispute resolution and increased transparency.
