Political Parties in Africa: Challenges for Sustained Multiparty
Political Parties in Africa: Challenges for Sustained Multiparty
Political Parties in Africa: Challenges for Sustained Multiparty
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3. Context<br />
Chapter 3<br />
In this chapter we elucidate the two ma<strong>in</strong> contexts <strong>in</strong> which <strong>Africa</strong>n political parties<br />
are <strong>for</strong>med, organized and operate: (a) national factors, exam<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the consequences<br />
of socio-political and economic circumstances on party politics; and (b) external<br />
factors, exam<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g political parties’ ability to respond to external shocks emanat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
from the new global context of development. Section 3.1, on the <strong>in</strong>ternal context,<br />
gives weight to both socio-political and economic factors affect<strong>in</strong>g the work<strong>in</strong>g of<br />
<strong>Africa</strong>n political parties. Rather than offer<strong>in</strong>g a narration of the state of affairs of<br />
<strong>Africa</strong>n economies and societies, it deals directly with the l<strong>in</strong>kages between these<br />
processes and their immediate impact on political parties. Section 3.2, on the external<br />
context, deals with the general impacts of the emergent global order, which has shifted<br />
the decision-mak<strong>in</strong>g mechanisms <strong>in</strong> many areas, from national to global f<strong>in</strong>ancial<br />
<strong>in</strong>stitutions, world trade <strong>in</strong>terlocutors, and powerful technology and <strong>in</strong><strong>for</strong>mation<br />
franchises operat<strong>in</strong>g on a global scale. It also <strong>in</strong>troduces the <strong>in</strong>tegration of <strong>Africa</strong>n<br />
political parties <strong>in</strong>to regional and global networks, with the aim of show<strong>in</strong>g not<br />
only the <strong>in</strong>ternal context <strong>in</strong> terms of party membership and parties’ f<strong>in</strong>ancial and<br />
organizational ability to contest elections, but also the <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>fluences of these<br />
transnational organizations.<br />
The depiction of the <strong>in</strong>ternal and external contexts is not complete. It is rather general<br />
and does little more than scratch the surface of complex and endur<strong>in</strong>g phenomena.<br />
Nonetheless, it treats these issues adequately from the vantage po<strong>in</strong>t of address<strong>in</strong>g<br />
what makes <strong>Africa</strong>n political parties different and the constra<strong>in</strong>ts under which they<br />
operate.