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Parties in Parliament EISA OCCASIONAL PAPER NUMBER 36, September 2005 Introduction Parties in Parliament1 The Relationship between Africa’s democratic transition, which was ushered in at the beginning of the Members of Parliament and last decade, has produced mixed but their Parties in Zambia yet disappointing results. While regular elections have taken place, this has been under an environment of weak political institutions, such as By political parties and Parliament, and deep disagreements over the rules of Neo Simutanyi the political game. On the other hand, the dominance of the executive over other arms of government has been pervasive. This, coupled with the inexperience of the new political actors and the low levels of institutionalisation of democratic institutions, combined to undermine confidence in Africa’s democratic ISBN: 1-920095-19-5 project. ISSN: 1811-7449 © EISA, 2005 After years of marginalisation, Parliaments have begun to emerge as the key institutions in African governments. In many countries legislatures have been given a new lease of life, after a long hiatus2. The former -dominated Parliaments now boast an increase in the numbers of opposition members who have greatly contributed to the quality of 1 In this paper we use the term ‘Parliament’ Parliamentary debates. However, the and ‘national assembly’ interchangeably. introduction of multiparty competition While technically Parliament in Zambia is has not substantially altered the status understood as the national assembly and the President, in everyday usage people refer to the legislature as Parliament. 2 Gyimah-Boadi, 2004 - 1 - EISA OCCASIONAL PAPER NUMBER 36, September 2005 and formal powers of Parliament. The affairs, especially regarding voting on popular image of African Parliaments bills and motions. being rubber stamps for executive initiatives has not changed. With very A multiparty system presupposes a few exceptions, executive-legislative plurality of political parties to ensure relations exude greater control and political competition for power. This influence in favour of the executive, would afford the electorate an more significantly the President. opportunity to choose from different sets of political leaders. Thus political Instead of Parliaments being an arena parties are the raison d’etre of a of independent debate and expression, multiparty system. Political parties Members of Parliament have had to have been variously defined in the contend with the pervasive influence literature.4 (The main of the Executive on the one hand and conceptualisation of political parties is their political parties on the other. For that, they are organisations that are example, Members of Parliament from primarily established to compete for the ruling party and often even the power and, in doing so, fulfil specific opposition parties have been induced functions that include social or pressured into supporting mobilisation, interest aggregation and government bills and motions in articulation.5 Political parties are anticipation of government distinguishable from pressure groups appointments or other political as their primary function is to win favours. This is not at all unusual in a elections and thus to control continent in which state power is government. In a liberal democracy, prized trophy to which elites aspire as therefore, political parties can be said it is a passport to accumulation of to be political machines designed to wealth, prestige and influence.3 mobilise electoral support for purposes of controlling or influencing the Political parties have also come to play government. a crucial role in controlling the conduct of Members of Parliament. It In Africa, political parties were formed is not only expected that Members of mainly to contest elections. During the Parliament will vote according to the colonial period, African political instructions of their parties, but also parties emerged to prepare African that those who do not do so may risk elites to assume power when their severe sanctions. These may include countries were gained independence. not being adopted as a candidate at the In most cases, it took the political elite next election, suspension or even a short period, usually less than a expulsion from the party. The power decade, to go from establishing and influence of the political party in political parties to contesting Parliament is so pervasive that it has elections.6 Thus the enduring feature serious implications on the of the African party system is not only consolidation of parliamentary that they are inherited Western democracy. Unlike Europe, in Africa political institutions, but were also the organisation of political parties in Parliament through parliamentary 4 Duverger, 1954; Sartori, 1976 and Ware, groups or caucuses is still very poor, 1995 causing the main party to play an 5 Others such as Van de Walle (2003) dispute influential role in parliamentary the interest aggregation function of political parties and instead argue that political parties’ main function is that of representation of social interests. See also Randall, 2003. 3 Southall, 2003 p5-8 6 Mohamed Salih, 2003, p2 - 2 - EISA OCCASIONAL PAPER NUMBER 36, September 2005 introduced against a background of electorate and obligations towards the inexperienced African politicians who party on whose ticket the MP was were expected to manage them. It was elected? this factor that led to the failure in institutionalising the African party The purpose of this paper is to discuss system and this, in turn, gave rise to the relationship between parties and the system. their Members of Parliament in Zambia. This will be done by first The study of African political parties contextualising political parties and since re-democratisation can be said to their relationship to Parliament in be fairly recent. Most work on political Zambia. Secondly, we discuss the role parties has been conducted in Latin and structural organisation of America and East European countries. parliamentary groups. Thirdly, the Since the re-democratisation process relationship between Members of got underway in Africa, few studies Parliament is analysed within the have been undertaken on the emerging context of influence, control and African parties and party systems.7 competition. Fourthly, inter-party These studies have been preoccupied Parliamentary cooperation is with the question of the role of discussed, especially regarding political parties in institutionalising or building coalitions of support for or consolidating democracy. against motions and bills. The concluding section makes some While a study of political parties in tentative proposals regarding the future general is important and provides of party-MP relations, arguing for a insights on the functioning of a system which will reduce the influence democratic polity, the relationship of political parties on their MPs and between parties and parliaments has their protection from undue not received much scholarly attention. victimisation. A proper study of the relationship between political parties and their This paper is based on personal Members of Parliament would provide interviews with key informants a better understanding of the working within the National Assembly challenges facing African parliaments of Zambia, political party officials, in furthering democratic consolidation. some Members of Parliament and retired politicians. The paper also Several questions come to mind in an relies on newspaper reports and attempt to understand the relationship popular discourses on Members of between parties and Members of Parliament in general and their Parliament in Africa. How do political relationship with their parties in parties handle the challenge of party particular, especially the now common discipline on the one hand and phenomenon of parties expelling parliamentary independence on the erring MPs and thereby forcing by- other hand? How do political parties elections. The paper discusses the relate to their parliamentary groups? subtleties of power and demonstrates How influential and cohesive are that in the case of Zambia, the exercise parliamentary groups? How is the of legislative power and authority is conflict resolved between the mediated by the intervention of responsibility of a Member of political parties’ influence. This Parliament responsibility towards the undermines the latitude of Members of Parliament to exercise their own 7 Bogaards, 2000; Randall and Svåsand, 2002; judgement in debating and voting on Erdmann, 2003; Mohamed Salih, 2003 motions. - 3 - EISA OCCASIONAL PAPER NUMBER 36, September 2005 POLITICAL PARTIES AND The second Parliament (1968-1972) PARLIAMENT IN ZAMBIA was characterised by inter-party rivalry and political violence. This was partly Zambia has a brief history of due to the increased share of multiparty politics. During the first opposition seats in the National Parliamentary period (1964-1968) Assembly. For example, the ANC there were three political parties increased its representation in represented in the National Assembly - Parliament from 10, in 1964, to 23 in the United National Independence 1968. These results gave a signal to the Party (UNIP), the African National ruling UNIP that ‘the ANC had Congress (ANC) and the United become a formidable opponent, and Federal Party (UFP). UNIP dominated that it was viewed by the majority of the legislature with sixty-five seats, Zambians as a party that could form an while the ANC had ten, with the UFP alternative government.’ The threat retaining the ten
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