why election should free and fair

The meaning of democracy is sum up in the following word "the government of the people , by the people and for the people" democracy is a representative form of government where the masses are represented at all levels by people they elected. For democracy to be a true representation of the people choice, there must some check and balance to enforce the leaders to do their services, otherwise there will be misrepresentation and the leading class will be aristocratic.
Election as a mean through which people send whom they chose and bring them back is an effective tool in the past and up to date. It is when the power lies in the hand of masses through the vote that elections as a tool of change will work. Leaders will only deliver the dividends of democracy when the people have the full power to put them or remove them from office, Otherwise there will be bad governance. Therefore the mainstay of any democratic government is the credibility of its electoral process. Anyone must be duly elected. Leaders must not get to the office through any other means; people must protect their voting power as it is the pillar of any democratic rule. see africa and democracy