Political Parties in Africa: Challenges for Sustained Multiparty

International Idea
Table 6.2 shows that in countries with bicameral parliaments requirements such
as registration deposit payment forms, deposit requirements and regional presence
are not major requirements. They have only been adopted by small percentage of
a sample of 16 countries. The most common requirement is for the payment of a
deposit. Other requirements are largely about payments and registrations in a list
system paid for by the individual political party.
Table 6.2: Requirements for political parties to contest national
elections (second chamber)
Registration forms or file
application
Countries No. Percentage of
sample (16)
Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi,
Morocco, Namibia
Payment of a deposit Egypt, Ethiopia, Malawi,
Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria
5 31.2
6 37.5
Regional presence requirement Nigeria 1 6.2
Other Egypt, Morocco, Namibia 3 18.8
Source: Compiled from the ACE database, http://www.aceproject.org>, downloaded July 2006.
Table 6.3 reflects the registration and other requirements for candidates wishing to
stand for election. Fourteen countries (i.e. 29.17 per cent) require candidates to submit
formal registration forms or file an application, with the signatures of certain number
of witnesses, nominated by a political party or included in a party list in the case
of proportional representation. Deposit requirements apply to 22.91 per cent of the
countries, while in the case of Mali and Mauritius the acceptance of the candidate’s
deposit by the electoral commission is tied up (as in the case of all other countries)
with meeting the nationality, clean criminal record and age requirements.
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Party Structures and Internal Organization