Political parties perform
many tasks both during election campaigns and between elections. Since much of
the work of policy-making, ideological changes, and candidate selection take
place within the parties rather than in the public domain, it is important to
look at the internal functioning of political parties. It is common to demand a
certain degree of internal democracy in political parties, and even though the
concept is not very well defined, some features can be identified.
Accountability of party leadership, procedures for consultation with party
members (and the electorate as a whole), local and regional presence, and
transparent candidate selection are some building blocs for internal democracy.[1]
Internal functioning and
operations of political parties may depend to some extent on legal regulations
– such as the constitution or a political party law – but is more commonly
guided by internal party regulations. The internal functioning of political
parties has an impact on how different needs, interests, and social demands in
the society get represented in parliament.
Legal regulations regarding
internal functioning may include standards for intra-party democracy, such as
regulations for internal elections for leadership positions or women’s
representation in the party leadership.[2]
Internal voluntary party
regulations stipulate candidate selection processes, such as primary elections
that are held in some countries, or voluntary party candidate quotas, e.g. for
women or ethnic minorities. Political parties select and nominate candidates
for elections, support them in the elections campaign, and furnish them with
all necessary equipment to stand as candidates.
Furthermore, the party
structure is essential to the study of the internal functioning of political
parties. It determines who has influence on the decision making process and how
much influence they have.
Important to the
understanding of the internal functioning of political parties is also the role
of the party media.
How the members of a
political party may exercise influence on the leadership and on the internal
party decision-making process will be discussed in the file "The Role of
Members".
[1] See: Regional Meeting on
Political Parties and Internal Party Democracy in ECOWAS Member States. (Final Communiqué, Abidjan, Republic of Cote
D’Ivoire, July 2010). http://www.comm.ecowas.int/dept/h/h1/en/rapport/Abidjan_Meeting_on_Pol_Parties_Communique.pdf. See also: Simba, Dr. S.K.
Internal
Governance Structures of Political Parties in Democratic Governance. Department of Political
Science and Public Administration, Makerere University. Paper
presented at the 1st EAC Consultative Meeting for Political Parties in East
Africa, (Nairobi, Kenya, September
2011).
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