In praise of political parties

John Samuel argues that there is a direct correlation between the health of the political party system and the vitality and long term viability of a democracy.

Political Parties are one of the most crucial factors for the sustenance of a viable democratic system. However, political parties across the world are facing a crisis. They have been reduced to mere electoral mechanism or network to capture the power of the State. They are less and less social institutions or legitimizing agents of political process and increasingly turned in to “interest-networks” promoted by the larger economic forces and identity politics of various shades

There seems to be a direct connection between the health of the political party system and the vitality and long term viability of a democracy. The strength, limitations and the contradictions of the political party system get reflected in the process of governance and the character of the state.

Political parties are socio-political institutions, in the public sphere, that help citizens to interface and negotiate with the state. Political parties are also primary legitimizing agents of the government and governing systems of the state. The social function and legitimizing role of political parties are under unprecedented strain. In most of the countries, political parties have rather less institutional history and social roots. Many of them emerged as a corollary to the state power and an instrument to sustain the state power. In the absence of a multi-party system- with grass-roots presence, a committed cadre of leader and wide network with in the society- democratic process can be subverted and political process can be appropriated by a minority of vested interests.

In case of many of the decolonized countries, the nation states as well as political parties are the consequences of decolonization rather than causes of decolonization.
The very process of decolonizing also involved sowing the seeds of conflicts based on ethnicity, religion and identity in most of the countries. Unlike the case of India, there were not many mass struggles or wider political mobilization for freedom from the Colonial Powers. The struggle against colonialisation and imperialism was in many ways the beginning of the process of democratization and political process in most of countries in the world. The process of decolonizing also ensured the emergence of faulty and fragile democratic systems and process – more often initiated by an educated elite minority in conjunction with the erstwhile colonial powers. In poor countries, the absence of a vibrant middle class and healthy economy make political parties less viable socio-political institutions.

The vibrant multiparty system, with multiple ideological and identity base helped to sustain, stabilize and strengthen a unique brand of Indian Democratic system. . In fact, apart from the Congress party, the left parties and the parties on the right too contributed to make India a viable multiparty democracy

However, in many of the other South Asian countries, the absence of a vibrant multi-party system weakened the governance as well as democracy. During the cold war period, most of the left political forces in other parts of South Asia was subverted or eradicated by the nexus of ruling elite and western political and economic forces. The eradication of left political forces from Pakistan and Bangladesh actually had long term political impact in weakening the foundations of democratic process in both countries. The deep rooted feudal values and identity politics based on cast, religion or ethnicity and sub-nationalities shaped the very character, hierarchy of political party systems South Asia, including India. Hence the secular values, or cosmopolitan political ethos and democratic values are actually skin deep in almost all the political party system in India and the rest of South Asia

Political parties are filled with career politician with a single point agenda of getting a piece of state power and the privileges and paraphernalia that come with the package. Many of the political parties are now controlled by a “power-clique” and “fund-managers” and “telegenic leaders”, blessed by media and sustained by the corporate funds.

Elections are reduced to media stunts with “brand” slogans and empty “policy rhetoric”, devoid of any in-depth political process or social mediations. The increasing dependence on media-centric campaigning and corporate funds undermine the very character and autonomy of political party system. New political-corporate elites are in the business of subverting politics and policy framework of the state to maximize profit for few dominant economic forces in a given economy. As many social activists, writers and intellectuals choose to work within the civil society, political parties are facing an acute deficit of creative and ethical leadership.

*John Samuel is a civil society activist and International Director of Actionaid.

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