Political Parties in Africa: Challenges for Sustained Multiparty

International Idea
independent of the party internationals in order to assert their individuality and
African perspectives.
The ultimate outcome of these networks and interactions could be the creation of
a global space for improved avenues for the dissemination of democratic values. On
the other hand, there is the view that the continuing presence of powerful global
democratic trends and universally inspired values could deprive Africans of the
opportunity to devise their own pathways to, and models of, democracy independent
of such external influences. The present writers’ belief is that the main contribution
of the global democracy networks currently is the incarnation of a gentler political
modernization agenda under the guise of modernization, revisionism and a dominant
neo-liberal paradigm (Mohamed Salih 2001). Another outcome of externally-driven
globalized party-based democracy is the widening of the gulf between elite-dominated
political institutions—which means the political parties and the parliaments—and
the masses of illiterate African citizens, who will come to feel increasingly alienated
by the conduct of their own society’s political elite. The result of such a situation
could well be widespread political apathy and even political withdrawal.
At the larger synthesis, the global struggle against poverty, as exemplified by the
Millennium Development Goals, including Africa-originated initiatives such as the
New Economic Partnership for Africa (NEPAD), is globally supported. These global
party-to-party networks and global public agendas will serve Africa well if they act
on their promises.
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