 Cédric Jourde, ¡°The President Is Coming to Visit!¡± Dramas and the Hijack of Democratization in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania Authoritarian renewal followed the initial phase of democratic reform in Africa in the early 1990s. Most studies of authoritarian restoration analyze the hijack of democratic transition in formal political institutions like elections, parliaments, and the judiciary. However, incumbent authoritarian elites also resort simultaneously to cultural and symbolic strategies. Cultural performances enacted by incumbent authoritarian elites, like presidential tours in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, contributed to the restoration of authoritarian rule by disseminating signals that strengthened ruling elites¡¯ positions and weakened prodemocracy forces. |