Key note address
The Role of Political Parties in Strengthening Democracy
Presented by Perry Aritua
At a training organized by International Republican Institute-Nigeria for women leaders in political
parties on leadership, accountability and communication
Contact address:
Perry Aritua
Executive Director
Women’s Democracy Network-Uganda Chapter
Tel:+256-0790-912976/0752-792031
Email: paritua@wdnuganda.org
Website: www.wdnuganda.org
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Introduction
“The fundamental key to success is what you believe. If you believe in something, there will never be a ceiling
for you. Always dream, have the heart and discipline to pursue it. Always keep trying and never give up. All
great leaders of the world who have made a difference in their countries and the lives of others did not set a
low bar for themselves. They always aimed high and set very high standards for themselves”-Oprah Winfrey, 2012
I would like to thank the International Republican Institute-Nigeria for inviting me to give the key
note address on the role of political parties in strengthening democracy. IRI is committed to
advancing democracy worldwide and through its work in over 50 countries around the world, it
continues to identify and work with different groups of people organized in political parties and civil
society organizations among others.
This training is very important because women in most countries of Africa comprise more than 50%
of the population of their respective countries. As a result, their participation in political parties and
governance in their countries is critical to improving the rights of women in the political, economic
and social sphere and for the development of their countries. However, it is a fact that women are
still marginalized in many parts of the world and have therefore had to struggle to participate in
leadership in the political, social and economic sphere.
Despite the existence of international, regional and national instruments, legislation and policies,
women’s participation in political parties and governance in their countries does not come on a
silver plate. That is why women leaders must play a role in ensuring that they represent women and
advocate for more of them to be included in leadership in political parties and governments and for
their issues to be included in the agenda and programs of parties and government. This cannot
happen if women in politics work in isolation. In my country Uganda, we have realized that women
leaders can become more effective and influence decisions that promote the interests of women
and girls if they work together in different ways which we shall share at this forum. Women leaders
in different spheres of leadership add value to making each other better. However, women in
politics can make a difference if they define for themselves the purpose of being in leadership. It is
important to ask yourself why you are elected to the positions that you hold in your parties. Are you
in your current position for material/economic gain or do you genuinely want to see the plight of
women in Nigeria improved by your actions in your party? What are the things that you would want
changed in your party so as to get the issues that affect women in Nigeria addressed? What skills
and knowledge do you need and how can you get them? What strategies do you have to pursue the
issues that you stand for? Who are your allies and foes? These and other questions that the
workshop will answer where possible are important for you as you represent women in your parties.
In order to effectively play your roles in the party, it is important to understand what a political party
is, democracy and the role of political parties in strengthening democracy. Honest discussions on the
topics in the workshop and strategies to define the way forward to increase the role of women in
parties and democracy in Nigeria will be important during and after the workshop. The discussions
and strategies defined will determine your actions in increasing or reducing the number of women in
parties and the roles they play in governance both within and outside the party.
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What is a political party?
A political party is an organized group of people whose basic aim is to work towards gaining political
power through legal means. In a number of countries political parties are emerging as a key tenet for
democracy. It is therefore important to examine the roles that they play in a democracy.
What is democracy?
Democracy is a word that is used almost every day in different sectors of society and governance
structures. People talk about democracy in schools, religious organizations, political parties and even
self-help groups. The most important aspect of democracy is involvement of people in decision
making. ‘People’s power’ or ‘the will of the people’ is central to the meaning of democracy. Due to
this, democracy has become the most desired form of governance by many people in many parts of
the world. There are principles and values of democracy that make it attractive as a form of
governance. The values and principles essential for building of a democratic culture include: people
being actively involved in making decisions; tolerating and accommodating opposing viewpoints;
openness and responsiveness in the decision making process; holding regular free and fair elections;
division of responsibilities between different arms of government; equal treatment of all people
irrespective of their religion or creed, ethnic origin, sex, race, birth, political opinion, disability or
social and economic standing. Democracy promotes social justice for all people and makes respect
for human rights and freedoms central to governance.
Roles of parties in strengthening democracy
Why are political parties and party systems necessary for a functioning democracy?
 Parties are the main vehicle for political representation. Political parties elect
representatives to compete in elections for positions of leadership. Parties therefore provide
the avenue for the voices of their membership and other members of the public to be heard.
 Parties are the main mechanism for the organization of government. That is why multiparty
democracies have the ruling party and opposition parties with each playing defined roles.
 Parties are key channels for maintaining democratic accountability.
 If parties don’t work well, democracy will suffer. Institutional party development can go
hand in hand with social development, but it depends on the concerted effort of party
activists and all citizens.
In terms of roles, political parties can do the following to strengthen democracy:
1. Based on ideology or otherwise, political parties develop policies and messages on how they
believe the country should be governed. To do this:
 Parties identify the needs and concerns of the people by interacting with the public
at different levels of society. The needs of society can be economic, political or social
for instance in health and education. There may be limited participation by some
groups in society like women due to cultural, religious and other practices thereby
limiting their contribution to decision making. Parties identify the concerns of the
different interest groups in society and move to the second stage of policy
formulation. That is why it is important for different interests groups including:
women, youths, PWDs and men to be adequately represented in a political party.
 Parties address these needs and concerns through the formulation of policies;
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 Provide policy alternatives. In Uganda, parties are still weak in providing policy
alternatives due to a number of factors including limited capacity and lack of
prioritization of their role of providing alternative policies among others. As a result
political parties at times conduct research but do not produce briefs from the
research for use by government. At times the policies are hijacked by government
for political reasons with no serious thought as to how they will work. For example,
in 2006, during the election campaigns in Uganda, the main opposition candidate
Dr. Kiiza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change informed voters through his
campaign message that he would abolish graduated tax if elected as President. The
tax was not favourable to many tax payers because it was being collected using
crude means. The ruling party candidate realized that the message could turn the
tables in favour of opposition. He announced that graduated tax would be
abolished. However, the tax was the main revenue source for local governments and
has had a crippling effect on their revenues thereby affecting provision of services.
 Disseminate their policies and messages to the public. This is an important aspect
for the public because it enables them to choose the party to elect into government
especially in democracies where message overrides money in elections in
determining the choice of candidate. It is important for women to know the policies
that the party has with regard to promoting the rights and interests of women.
Women leaders in parties should therefore know the international, regional and
national instruments and laws that the government and parties have committed to
and the plans and actions that they have put in place to realize the laws, policies and
plans.
 Aggregate and represent social interests.
2. Political parties participate in elections. By winning elections, a party’s policies can be put
into practice. Political parties provide the organization and structure to:
 Bring people together;
 Formulate and develop policies for governing the nation;
 Identify and recruit candidates to participate in elections;
 Win elections;
 Empower people through elected representatives.
The above role (2) is important in strengthening democracy because if the party is able to identify
and recruit candidates who can implement the party’s pro-people policies effectively, a country and
its people can thrive politically, economically and socially. Election of a democratic leader also
enables people of different groups to participate in planning and monitoring the delivery of services.
This creates transparency and promotes accountability within government.
3. Parties act as responsible government when in power because:
 Parties that win elections or seats in the legislature, assume responsibility on
themselves as policy makers;
 A majority possess power to implement its promises;
 The parties have to administer laws wisely and fairly and have to adjust astutely to
problems they will encounter;
4. Parties act as responsible opposition through:
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 Constant presentation of the fact that there is an alternative to the existing
government;
 Preserving democratic procedures and fundamental human rights;
 Protect society from the excesses and corruption of power that is found
wherever power finally resides;
 Oppose constructively by offering alternative solutions;
In order for political parties to play the above roles, there are some basic guidelines that you
should know to assess whether your party is on track. If you examine your party and it does
not meet the following criteria, think about what strategies you can develop to improve the
operation of the party. Parties that fail to meet these criteria may not be sustainable in the
short run, and will be even less likely to be sustainable in the long run. They will also find it
difficult to strengthen democracy because of the internal inadequacies that they will have.
1. An effective political party: has a clear mission, vision, set of values and goals for a
better society. It has a well defined plan and strategy to implement its vision for society;
has a clear and compelling message and philosophy around which to mobilize members
and supporters; has a well defined administrative and organizational structure; makes
effective use of human and material resources to achieve its goals.
2. A truly democratic party: allows its members the right to think and believe as he/she
chooses and express their views freely; provides members an opportunity to express
their views and to participate in the decision making process; is open and transparent-it
wants the public to know its policies and beliefs; is committed to a democratic system of
governance including free and fair election and alternation of power; promotes
membership and participation of women, youth and PWDs; holds leaders accountable to
members and supporters and abides by agreed upon rules and procedures for decision
making.
3. A sustainable and forward looking party does the following activities between elections:
offers and represents alternative views to make sure the government is acting
responsibly, in accordance with the law and the peoples’ wishes; opposes bad legislation
and help pass those laws that are consistent with their party platform; recruits new
members and maintains good lists; grooms, trains and recruits candidates; mobilizes
resources and elects party leaders.
4. A smart party develops its structure in the following ways: establishes a lean and
efficient organizational structure with clear divisions of roles and responsibilities; selects
leaders through democratic means and administrators based on merit and commitment;
is open, transparent and allows freedom of expression among members; maintains a
division of responsibilities between candidates/ political office holders and
administrators.
5. Ensures that different interest groups in society are adequately represented in the party.
Doing otherwise makes it difficult for it to ensure the interests and rights of all its
citizens are well represented.
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Conclusion
Political parties play a critical role in strengthening democracy. They can effectively play
the roles discussed in this paper if they effectively organize themselves internally and set
up systems and policies to guide their work. Good leadership and teams that are
committed to good governance will also play a role in defining the direction of countries
that are nascent democracies. For political parties, acceptance of constructive criticism
and willingness to address weaknesses is vital for a party that wants to effectively lead
the government or provide a viable opposition. Developing democracies can therefore
learn lessons from more consolidated democracies and use the lessons effectively within
their context. As Nigeria learns lessons, it is important that women are not left out when
implementing the lessons. Nothing for women in terms of rights comes on a silver plate.
It is a struggle that requires sacrifice in terms of time and resources. It requires
commitment, belief, courage, selflessness, knowledge and strategies that are practical
and feasible within the Nigerian context. The women’s movement is only as strong as its
leaders. The status-quo for women can change with great female leaders in the party
and team work. No human being makes it alone. You need other people to achieve your
goals. I therefore wish you all the best as you continue to advance the rights and
interests of women, children and your communities through your leadership.
Thank you for listening to me
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