Constitutionalisation of Political Parties and the State of Democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa

Prof. Charles M Fombad; Dr. Johannes Socher

doi:10.5771/9783748963165

Summary

Edited by C. Fombad and J. Socher, this volume offers unique insights into the regulation of political parties and its impact on constitutionalism and multiparty democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa. Building on an examination of the relevant international and African regional standards and drawing on experiences in continental Europe, it presents a detailed framework for analysing the constitutionalisation of political parties in Sub-Saharan Africa. Further contributions on 12 countries — Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe — analyse the experiences with the constitutionalisation of political parties in concrete cases. A concluding chapter outlines key findings and some recommendations for reform.With contributions byLukman Abdulrauf | José Adalima | Buluma Bwire | Mai Cheng | Zelalem Degifie | Abdou Khadre Diop | Charles M. Fombad | Bekezela Gumbo | James Nkuubi | Adriano Nuvunga | Neel R. Purmah | Johannes Socher | Heather A. Thuynsma | Ajereboh J. Tichock | Gerald Dan Yeakula | Edson Ziso

Keywords

Search publication

Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2025
ISBN-Print: 978-3-7560-3353-9
ISBN-Online: 978-3-7489-6316-5
Publisher: Nomos, Baden-Baden
Series: Recht und Verfassung in Afrika - Law and Constitution in Africa
Volume: 48
Language: English
Pages: 574
Product type: Edited Book

Download chapter (PDF)
1. Foreword
2. Preface
Chapter 1 IntroductionPages 15 - 28 Charles M Fombad, Johannes Socher Download chapter (PDF)
1. Charles M Fombad Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 1. 2.1 Conceptualisation of political parties
    2. 2.2 The pre-1990 evolution of African political parties
  3. 3. Rationalising political-party constitutionalisation
  4. 1. 4.1 General regulatory framework
    2. 4.2 Formal recognition of multipartyism
    3. 4.3 Framework for defining the scope of parties’ rights and duties
    4. 4.4 The framework for free and fair political participation
    5. 4.5 The principle of internal democracy
    6. 4.6 Framework for bans and regulatory restrictions
    7. 4.7 Mechanisms for political-party funding
    8. 4.8 The principle of separating state and party
    9. 4.9 Ensuring compliance with democratic values and principles
  5. 5. Post-1990 trends and tendencies in the evolution of political parties
  6. 6. Conclusion
2. Mai Cheng Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 1. 2.1 Lack of an enabling environment on the African continent
    2. 2.2 Externally driven institutional development can bring only formal changes
    3. 2.3 Why politicians and governments can make systems dysfunctional
  3. 1. 3.1 Starting again from scratch is not a viable option
    2. 3.2 Possible directions for future development
3. Charles M Fombad, Johannes Socher Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 1. 1. 2.1.1 The African Charter and other human rights instruments
      2. 2.1.2 The AU’s democracy and good governance agenda
    2. 1. 2.2.1. ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance
      2. 2.2.2 Other REC instruments on democracy and good governance
      3. 2.2.3 SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections
  3. 1. 3.1 The implications of uneven ratification and domestication
    2. 1. 3.2.1 Freedom not to belong to a party and the right to political participation
      2. 3.2.2 Limitations on and dissolution of political parties
      3. 3.2.3 Related rights and obligations
    3. 1. 3.3.1 Reporting mechanisms and synthesis reports
      2. 3.3.2 AU and REC election observation missions
  4. 4. Conclusion
4. Johannes Socher Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 1. 2.1. Right to political participation
    2. 2.2 Freedom of association
    3. 2.3 Equal treatment of and non-discrimination against specific groups
    4. 2.4 Financing and transparency
  3. 1. 3.1 Five waves of party constitutionalisation
    2. 3.2 Three models of constitutionalisation
    3. 3.3 Harmonisation at the European level
  4. 1. 4.1 The prohibition of anti-democratic parties
    2. 4.2 The requirement of intra-party democracy
  5. 5. Conclusion
1. Abdou Khadre Diop Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 1. 2.1 The rights of political parties
    2. 2.2 The duties of political parties
  3. 1. 3.1 Political-party financing
    2. 3.2 The Leader of the Opposition
  4. 1. 4.1 The dissolution of PASTEF
    2. 1. 4.2.1 The electoral exclusion of PDS and Takhawu Senegal leaders (2019)
      2. 4.2.2 The electoral exclusion of PDS and PASTEF leaders (2024)
  5. 5. Conclusion
2. Buluma Bwire Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 1. 2.1 The rise and fall of KANU’s strongest opponent
    2. 2.2 The fall of KANU and the rise of coalition parties in 2002
    3. 2.3 Political parties in the era of the 2010 Constitution
    4. 2.4 A return to single-party dominance cloaked as multipartyism
    5. 2.5 The role of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties
  3. 3. The impact of ethnicity on Kenya’s democracy
  4. 4. Conclusion
3. Lukman Abdulrauf, Johannes Socher Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 1. 2.1 From the colonial period to independence
    2. 2.2 Military rule
    3. 2.3 Democratisation and multipartyism
  3. 1. 3.1 Scope and limitations of political party regulation
    2. 3.2 Intra-Party democracy and promotion of democratic values
    3. 3.3 Party financing
    4. 3.4 INEC registration and oversight
  4. 1. 4.1 Undemocratic selection of party candidates
    2. 4.2 Political nomadism
    3. 4.3 Monetisation of party politics
    4. 4.4 Judicialisation of party conflicts
    5. 4.5 Blurring the line between the state and ruling parties
  5. 5. Conclusion
4. Gerald Dan Yeakula Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 1. 2.1 Political foundations
    2. 2.2 Century-long rule by a single party
    3. 2.3 Multipartyism on the horizon
  3. 1. 3.1 The 1847 Constitution and later developments
    2. 3.2 The 1986 Constitution and later developments
    3. 1. 3.3.1 Status provisions
      2. 3.3.2 Ancillary-rights provisions
      3. 3.3.3 Political-process provisions
  4. 1. 4.1 Overview
    2. 4.2 Political parties in perspective
    3. 4.3 Elections in practice
    4. 4.4 The political environment
    5. 4.5 The military factor
  5. 5. Conclusion
5. Neel R Purmah Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 1. 2.1 Ethnic-based political representation
    2. 2.2 Origins and characteristics of the best-loser system
    3. 2.3 Mauritius’s main political parties
  3. 1. 3.1 Registration and the status of political parties
    2. 3.2 Intra-party democracy
    3. 3.3 Oversight of political parties
  4. 1. 4.1 Personalised party factions and temporary alliances
    2. 4.2 Consociationalism and its effect on multiparty democracy
    3. 4.3 Ethnic representation in political parties
  5. 1. 5.1 Constitutionalisation of political parties
    2. 5.2 Enactment of an electoral law
    3. 5.3 Financing political parties
  6. 6 Conclusion
1. Adriano Nuvunga, José Adalima Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 1. 2.1 1994–2004: Two-party domination by Frelimo and Renamo
    2. 2.2 Since 2004: Growing dominance of Frelimo and decline of Renamo
    3. 2.3. Since 2018: The consolidation of Frelimo’s dominance
  3. 1. 3.1 Parliamentary thresholds for political parties
    2. 3.2 The status of political parties in the electoral system
    3. 1. 3.3.1 Frelimo
      2. 3.3.2 Renamo
      3. 3.3.3 The MDM, other parties, and extra-parliamentary groups
      4. 3.3.4 Conclusions on intra-party democracy
    4. 3.4 Financing of political parties
  4. 4. Political parties, organised crime, and the state of democracy
  5. 5. Conclusion
2. Bekezela Gumbo Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. Historical and political context
  3. 1. 3.1 The right to existence: limited multipartyism?
    2. 1. 3.2.1 Founded by statute in accordance with the law
      2. 3.2.2 Nationwide mobilisation and presence in the capital
      3. 3.2.3 Commitment to the nation-building agenda
    3. 1. 3.3.1 Detailed design of founding statutes
      2. 3.3.2 Documentation accompanying registration applications
    4. 1. 3.4.1 Fundraising and financial transparency
      2. 3.4.2 Government financial support to political parties
    5. 3.5 Dialogue and consensus-building provisions
    6. 3.6 Punitive measures on politicians
  4. 4. Conclusion
3. Charles M Fombad, Ajereboh J Tichock Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 1. 2.1 The bloody path to the reintroduction of multipartyism in 1990
    2. 2.2 The twin elections of 1992 and the trajectory of multipartyism
  3. 1. 3.1 Key aspects of the regulatory framework
  4. 4 The multiparty farce and descent into multiparty autocracy
  5. 1. 5.1 Manipulation of electoral laws and electoral districts
    2. 5.2 Restrictions on voting access in opposition strongholds
    3. 5.3 Intimidation and violence against opposition leaders and supporters
    4. 5.4 Co-option and the neutralisation of opposition leaders
    5. 5.5 Divisions within opposition ranks
    6. 5.6 Political-party funding and abuse of incumbency
    7. 5.7 The absence of the fundamentals of constitutionalism and the rule of law
    8. 5.8 Continued international support for the Biya government
  6. 6. Conclusion
1. Edson Ziso Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. ZANU-PF and the desire for a one-party state
  3. 3. The constitutional and legal framework for political parties
  4. 1. 4.1 Formation and registration of political parties
    2. 4.2 Use and abuse of the power to recall MPs
    3. 4.3 Regulating political parties in the electoral space
  5. 1. 5.1 Strategic ambiguity: the CCC goes “structureless”
    2. 5.2 Abandonment of the party constitution
  6. 6. Conclusion
2. James Nkuubi Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 1. 2.1 The evolution of multipartyism in post-independence Uganda (1962–1995)
    2. 2.2 Elusive multipartyism in the post-1995 dispensation
    3. 2.3 Claw-back clauses in the Constitution
    4. 2.4 Enabling unfettered multipartyism: The 2000 and 2005 referendums
    5. 2.5 Uganda at 62: Between militarisation and democratisation
  3. 1. 3.1 “Sell-out diplomacy”: The case of the Democratic Party
    2. 3.2 The impact of “sell-out diplomacy” on multiparty politics
    3. 3.3 The rise of militancy in Uganda’s opposition politics
    4. 3.4 NUP Militancy and Multiparty politics
  4. 4. Conclusion
1. Heather A Thuynsma Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 1. 2.1 Building transparency by disclosing donations
    2. 2.2 The operation of the PPFA
  3. 3. Conceptual framework: The moneyball approach
  4. 1. 4.1 Data-driven donor targeting
    2. 4.2 Measuring the impact of courting private donors
    3. 4.3 Engaging small donors
    4. 4.4 Using key challenges to political-party advantage
  5. 5. Conclusion
2. Zelalem Degifie Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. Party-financing regulation in constitutional democracies
  3. 1. 3.1 Background and context
    2. 1. 3.2.1 Rules regulating private funding
      2. 3.2.2 Public funding for political parties
      3. 3.2.3 Spending limits
      4. 3.2.4 Oversight, monitoring, and enforcement
  4. 1. 4.1 Opposition parties’ dependency syndrome
    2. 4.2 Electoral market bias and hyper-incumbency advantages
    3. 4.3 Inequitable public funding: Reinforcing dominance
    4. 4.4 Culture of non-compliance
  5. 1. 5.1 The uneven political playing field
    2. 5.2 Weak and frivolous political parties
    3. 5.3 Dominant party with unchecked powers
  6. 6. Conclusion
1. Johannes Socher, Charles M Fombad Download chapter (PDF)
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 1. 2.1 Insufficient or inadequate constitutional power-sharing arrangements
    2. 2.2 Absence of, or unclear and ineffective, requirements for intra-party democracy
    3. 2.3 Ineffective regulations for holding ruling parties accountable
    4. 2.4 The increasing importance of regulating party agreements
    5. 2.5 Limited recognition and weak protection of opposition parties
    6. 2.6 Gaps in party-financing regulation and weak enforcement mechanisms
    7. 2.7 Lack of independent oversight
    8. 2.8 Limited impact of international and regional standards and bodies
  3. 3. Possible ways forward
Information on ContributorsPages 567 - 568 Download chapter (PDF)
IndexPages 569 - 574 Download chapter (PDF)