Political Parties in Africa: Challenges for Sustained Multiparty

International Idea
At face value, a relatively large number of dominant parties emerged in Africa a
few years after the democratization process had been unleashed. Four challenges to
democracy from dominant-party systems could be teased out because:
• they impede competitive politics, which contributes to political apathy and low
voter turnout, as has been demonstrated in the last elections in South Africa,
Mozambique, Mali and Senegal;
• dominant parties dominate the legislature and could monopolize the lawmaking
process to promote the predominant party’s economic and social interests;
• governments formed under the system are less accountable to the legislature,
which they dominate, and the opposition, which is too small to be effective;
and
• they encourage government to develop the arrogance of power and become
irresponsive to citizen demands.
What needed to be done is explained by our colleague Renske Doorenspleet: ‘This
phenomenon of dominant one-party systems should be taken into account more
explicitly. New classifications of party systems should be developed in which this
new type is included and in which the new type with its special characteristics is
investigated’ (Doorenspleet 1999: 177).
This work is vitally important for the democratic future of these countries, particularly
if competitive politics is to flourish and political parties are to play their pivotal
democratic role in governance.
4.2.4 Multiparty systems
A multiparty system is characterized by competition between more than two parties,
thus reducing the chances of single-party government and increasing the likelihood
of coalitions. However, it is difficult to define multiparty systems in terms of the
number of parties being explained by reference to the class nature of party support
(party conflict being seen, ultimately, as a reflection of the class struggle), or as a
consequence of party democratization and the influence of ideologically committed
grass-roots activists.
One problem with the two-party system is that two evenly matched parties are
encouraged to compete for votes by outdoing each other’s electoral promises,
perhaps causing spiralling public spending and fuelling inflation. This amounts to
African Party and Electoral Systems