Challenges to Democracy by One-Party Dominance: A Comparative Assessment 10 October 2005 Vineyard Hotel, Cape Town South Africa KONRAD-ADENAUER-STIFTUNG • SEMINAR REPORT • NO 17 • JOHANNESBURG • OCTOBER 2006 © KAS, 2006 All rights reserved While copyright in this publication as a whole is vested in the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, copyright in the text rests with the individual authors, and no paper may be reproduced in whole or part without the express permission, in writing, of both authors and the publisher. It should be noted that any opinions expressed are the responsibility of the individual authors and that the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung does not necessarily subscribe to the opinions of contributors. ISBN: 0-620-37570-1 Published by: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung 60 Hume Road Dunkeld 2195 Johannesburg Republic of South Africa PO Box 1383 Houghton 2041 Johannesburg Republic of South Africa Telephone: (+27 +11) 214-2900 Telefax: (+27 +11) 214-2913/4 E-mail: [email protected] www.kas.org.za Editing, DTP and production: Tyrus Text and Design Reproduction: Rapid Repro Printing: Stups Printing Foreword IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN A DECADE SINCE THE ‘THIRD WAVE OF DEMOCRATISATION’ REACHED the shores of African countries, but a characteristic common of many Southern African countries today is the dominance of one political party. This dominance is becoming the main obstacle to the consolidation of democracy in these countries. Furthermore, the weakness of opposition parties in these countries results in the attrition of parliament’s checks-and-balances and weakens further an already fragile pillar of democracy. Arguing that one-party dominance is an obstacle to democratic consolidation does not necessarily imply that it always results in an autocratic system or a one-party state. However, one-party dominance in some instances does bear features of, and prepares a fertile ground for, certain non-democratic attitudes and actions by the ruling party. This is particularly so when it comes to a democratic political culture and the promotion of an electoral democracy, which are integral prerequisites for the consolidation of democracy. Consequently, any critical analyses and debates on the state of political culture in the context of one-party dominance have been rejected repeatedly by ruling parties. In South Africa, critical analysis of political culture and the highlighting of any weaknesses are perceived as ‘African National Congress (ANC)-bashing’ and as an attempt by conservatives and minorities to taint the achievements of the ruling party and label the organisation as undemocratic. Some features of South Africa’s one-party dominance can be explained by the ruling party’s history as a liberation movement and its almost exclusive post-apartheid legitimacy; the conception of the nation in South Africa, as in many other countries in the region, is embodied in the national liberation movement, and the movement (in this case the ANC) is strongly identified as the party that brought democracy to the people. However, the ruling party should be careful not to use or misuse this contextual interpretation to disqualify any critical voice or to thwart any opposition. Democratic consolidation requires a move away from a dichotomised perception of ‘we and they’, which can result in the conviction that if you are not with the liberator, you are considered the enemy – an enemy to the people and to the national interest. It is of concern if even ANC members have to state that: “Many of my former comrades have become loyal to a party rather than to principles of justice.”1 One-party dominance brings with it other negative features, such as the blurring of boundaries of state and party, and the ambition to extend increasing control over state and society by further centralisation. But an additional concern is that one-party dominance has significant consequences for the development of democracy and its acceptance in society: the fact that 6.76 million voters failed to register for the 2004 elections in South Africa has to be interpreted in the context of striking ANC dominance. iii iv CHALLENGES TO DEMOCRACY BY ONE-PARTY DOMINANCE: A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT Increasing distrust for politicians and an opting out of the political process by a significant number of young people also have to be seen in the light of a lack of alternatives. In the shadow of all-encompassing ANC dominance, opposition voters feel they cannot possibly impact or influence government; and opposition parties face challenges in developing their own profiles and agendas. This often leads to reactive instead of proactive behaviour on the part of the opposition. Considering the precarious state of the political opposition in South Africa, highlighted during the recent floor-crossing periods in Parliament, the Konrad-Adenauer- Stiftung (KAS) in South Africa found it apposite to analyse the phenomenon of one-party dominance after a decade of multiparty democracy, and to compare the South African situation with other countries that have experienced one-party dominance over decades. The examples of India and Mexico, in particular, offer some important lessons that could, and should, be examined by South Africa’s opposition. A direct comparative analysis between Malaysia and South Africa outlines the commonalities, but also the distinctive features, of Malaysia’s one-party dominance. This publication is based on a conference held by KAS in Cape Town in October 2005. The aim of the conference, and of this publication, was and is to open up constructive debate and to bring to the forefront critical points that continue to undermine the consolidation of democracy in South Africa. Andrea E. Ostheimer2 Resident Representative Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung DR Congo NOTES 1 Anonymous ANC party member cited in: Melber H, From liberation movement to governments: On political culture in Southern Africa, African Sociological Review 6(1), 2002. 2 Former KAS resident representative South Africa, and coordinator of the KAS research project on selected transition processes in sub-Sahara Africa (2003–2004). Table of contents List of tables and figures vii List of abbreviations ix Understanding party dominance in Africa Shaheen Mozaffar The ANC government, co-optive power and the perpetuation 15 of party dominance Nicola de Jager The ANC, party dominance and social reproduction 31 Roger Southall The Indian National Congress: Decline and revival? 39 Zoya Hasan INC and ANC: A comparative analysis 55 Thiven Reddy The impact of one-party dominance on democracy in multicultural societies: 63 A comparison between Malaysia and South Africa Malte Kassner Rise and fall of Mexico’s PRI 91 Benito Nacif iv CHALLENGES TO DEMOCRACY BY ONE-PARTY DOMINANCE: A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT One-party dominance: Lessons to be learned for South Africa 99 Phillip Mtimkulu Voter behaviour and party dominance in South Africa: Another view 105 Robert Mattes Deformations of political culture by one-party dominance 117 Lawrence Schlemmer Questions and answers 123 Comprehensive bibliography 135 Conference programme 145 Participants’ list 147 Seminar Reports 149 Occasional Paper Series 152 Other publications 158 List of tables and figures TABLES • Structure of African party systems 3 • Structure and volatility of African party systems 7 FIGURES • Voter turnout and ANC election support, 1994–2004 106 • Decomposing the South African electorate, 1994–2004 107 • Partisanship in South Africa, 1994–2003 108 • Partisan identification in South Africa, 1994–2003 109 • Partisan identification in South Africa, 1994–2003 110 • Partisan identification and self-reported voter turnout, 1994–2004 111 • Perceived inclusiveness of political parties, 1994–2004 112 • Perceived inclusiveness by partisan identification, 2004 113 • Trust in political parties, 2004 114 vii List of abbreviations AIADMK All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam AICC All India Congress Committee ANC African National Congress Azapo Azanian People’s Organisation BDP Botswana Democratic Party BEE Black economic empowerment BJP Bharatiya Janata Party BN Barisan Nasional CIU Coordination and Implementation Unit Cosatu Congress of South African Trade Unions CSO Civil society organisation DA Democratic Alliance DC Christian Democratic Party DMK Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam DP Democratic Party ENEP Effective Number of Electoral Parties ENLP Effective Number of Legislative Parties Gear Growth, Employment and Redistribution Idasa Institute for Democracy in South Africa IFP Inkatha Freedom Party INC Indian National Congress IT information technology JSE Johannesburg Stock Exchange LSQ Least Squares Index of Disproportionality Mapai Mifleget Poalei Eretz Israel MCA Malaysian Chinese Association MEC Minerals-energy complex MIC Malaysian Indian Congress MNP Malay Nationalist Party MP Member of Parliament NDA National Democratic Alliance NDR National Democratic Revolution NEC National Executive Committee NEP New Economic Policy Nepad New Partnership for Africa’s Development NGO Non-governmental organisation ix x CHALLENGES TO DEMOCRACY BY ONE-PARTY DOMINANCE: A COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT NNP New National Party NP National Party PAC Pan Africanist Congress PAN National Action Party PAS Islamic Party of Malaysia PCAS Policy Coordination and Advisory Service PR Proportional representation PRI Institutional Revolutionary Party PS Parti Socialiste R Relative Reduction of Parties SACP South African Communist Party SDP Social Democratic Party sf-ratio Second-to-First-Ratio Swapo South West African People’s Organisation