Original Question: 

This question was posted by ACE on behalf of Leake Mekonen Tesfay.

In many countries, including my country of Ethiopia, a large number of political parties often contest elections but do not have distinct policy platforms. Ethiopia limits the number of candidates contesting a single member constituency to 12 (if there are nominees in excess of 12, the candidates are chosen by lot). 

Rather than limiting the number of candidates eligible to run in an election, do any countries have a mechanism to deny the registration of a political party if it does not have distinct programs or policies from other parties that exist? Do any countries have experience limiting the number of political parties able to register?

Summary of Responses:

Contributors agreed that regulations governing political parties vary by country, and parties may develop on the basis of geography, ethnicity, or other factors in addition to ideology. The consensus among practitioners was that it is uncommon for limitations to be set on the number of candidates who may contest an election or to limit party registration on the basis of ideology. Large numbers of candidates can pose problems for election administration, and an observed trend of increasing numbers of independent candidates is exacerbating this challenge. However, most contributors were of the view that arbitrary limitations on candidature violate fundamental rights and could be used to exclude candidates for political reasons. Requiring a review and interpretation of party platforms could also open the door to abuse.

One contributor emphasized the difference between limiting numbers of political parties and limiting numbers of candidates; the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that everyone who fits certain criteria should be able to run for office. In response to excessive and/or frivolous candidacies, one practitioner suggested that parties can be required to demonstrate levels of support (e.g. party membership, supporter signatures or, for previously existing parties, vote share in past elections) or pay reasonable nomination fees (which may be refunded to parties and candidates that gain a certain level of support at the polls). 

Another practitioner noted that little attention is paid to political party platforms in many countries on the African continent. Rather, many parties operate along tribal, regional, or religious divisions. While it is possible that political parties may become structured more along ideological lines as democracy develops, there is not a widespread practice of registering parties or candidates on this basis. 

Examples from practitioners included Cameroon, where high deposits and costs to candidacy discourage excess candidates, and Tunisia, where there is no limit on the number of candidate nominations. A contributor said that in the last parliamentary elections in 2014, there were more than 9,000 candidates for 217 seats in Tunisia. This is partly explained by the requirement for gender parity on candidate lists and a high number of independent candidates. Twenty-seven candidates were also nominated for the first-round presidential elections in Tunisia in 2014. One practitioner noted that one constituency in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, saw 856 candidates vie for 4 seats in 2006, resulting in a ballot that was four pages long. Ecuador also does not restrict the registration of political parties and has a range of ideological platforms represented. Finally, according to another contributor, Mexico’s requirements for party registration include geographic representation and citizen support. Parties may remain registered if they receive 3% of valid votes cast in the election. Independent candidates were allowed to contest elections following electoral reforms in 2014; these candidates must also demonstrate geographic representation and citizen support. 

Contributing Members: 

While extending my sincere gratitude to the facilitators of this platform for accepting my application for membership, I wish to jumpstart my participation by proffering some elements of response to the above concerns of the colleague from Ethiopian thus:

It cannot be gainsaid that the registration of political parties, the conditions for their participation in elections and existence in general vary from one country to another across the Continent. Elements like, the system of government, the demographic pattern, the history, and even the religious pattern of the country, to a greater extent determine the nature of its political party system. For example, centralized systems will have parties that cover the national territory; Federations will have some parties that exist and operate nationally and yet others that operate just within particular Federated States; countries with one, two or three dominant tribes may have parties set along those tribal lines, etc. The time of registration, place of registration, and life span of parties equally vary from one country to another.  In some countries, political parties are registered with the electoral commissions on the eve of an election for the purpose of participating in such elections and its survival thereafter largely depends on the outcome of the elections. When such parties win elections, they continue to exist for the purpose of exercising its mandate. Where the parties fail in the elections, they go into oblivion till the next elections. In other countries there is a statutory and permanent procedure for the registration of political parties which exist and operate for as long as its means can permit.

As to the platform on which political parties are created, registered, and operate on the African Continent, it wouldn’t be an over statement to state that very little or no attention is paid to this. Save in the cases of most of the political parties that were created to clamour for independence from the colonial masters and which eventually came to dominate the political scene of the countries after independence in most of the countries that were under colonial rule, most of the new parties are created to operate along tribal, regional or religious lines, etc, and not ideological lines as is the case in Western Democracies. In fact nobody is interested in the manifesto of the parties if at all the parties have any manifesto. Consequently the determining factor for the success or failure of a party at an election has much to do with how much the party candidates can touch the conscience of the electors, and very little or nothing to do with the campaign platform of the parties since votes are more or less cast along the same lines of the creation and operation of these parties, little wander, people are said to vote with their hearts (sentiments) and not with their heads (reasoning). In many more ways, than one, it is all about demagogy.

 With regard to the limitation of the number of parties that operate in any country on the Continent, it is not a common phenomenon. In Cameroon for example parties are registered to last for as long as they can. Today the country numbers well over 300 registered political parties, but on a day to day basis, the political scene of the country is animated by less than ten (10) political parties, which predominantly are parties that hold seats in Parliament (National Assembly and Senate) and the Municipal Councils. The other parties merely exist on paper and their existence especially during the inter-elections period, is only felt through the leader or a handful of militants who in most cases are family members or friends of the leader who in most cases is also the founder. These dormant parties resurface during the next elections not necessarily because they want to win any election, but in a calculated move to make money from government funding of campaigns of contesting political parties. Once these parties fill candidates in a few constituencies and receive campaign funds, they wait for the eve of election to announce their withdrawal from the race and declare support for any of the big parties, particularly the ruling party. It is important to note that the misuse or embezzlement of campaign funds disbursed from State coffers is a criminal offense and punishable under Cameroonian Law, as the law provides for the auditing of the use of same, this law has however remained dead lettered. Allbeit, the participation of political parties in elections in Cameroon is not also a ‘‘Casanova Charter’’ or a ‘‘blank check’’ as candidates are expected to deposit cautions in the state treasury, which for candidates for presidential elections for example, is 30 million XAF (approximately USD55 000). In the other elections, the caution is less but all the same become huge and difficult to pay in a list system especially if a party intends to run in several constituencies. This is an important ‘‘speed break’’ as very few presidential aspirants and political parties can raise the requisite funds to pay the deposits and other costs relating to the putting up of candidacy files. It is worth noting that in Cameroon all political parties that are represented in Parliament or the Municipal Councils receive state subventions, calculated at the ratio of their strength of representation, for the day to day running of their activities. Hence while this category of political parties have funds to keep their flames alive for as long as they keep their representation, the others that do not benefit from state funding are reduced to paper existence. Some eventually merge with bigger parties and others disappear naturally when their founders become incapable or when the latter dies.

In this writer’s humble opinion, democracy has come to stay on the African Continent and the trends across the Continent are by and large encouraging. With time and continuous political education, political parties would be structured along ideological lines and citizens would shove aside sentiments and tend to make reasoned political choices. While some countries will embark on the limitation of the numbers of political parties, polarization shall eventually take place in systems like that of Cameroon leading to the emergence of very few large parties based of clearly defined ideologies./-

My Gratitude To ACE, to give us a space where we can discus some electoral  issues. Thank you Mme Diana for your question, and Mr Julius for your clear reply. I would like to add something just to complete my friend. 

The problem of limitation of candidate running for election is one of the issues on the top of debates on electoral matters.

It’s depending of the Electoral environment in Country where elections will take place and also the electoral culture of the Country. One of the problems that the African EMBS is facing is the big number of Political Parties registered for election. Just for an Example, the Democratic Republic of Congo has more that 554 political parties registered in 2016 for 45 millions of voters, when the Brazil has only 35 political Parties for 145 millions of voters. For the post-conflict countries it’s will not be easy to limit the number of political parties as well as the number of candidates, in that case, the only requirement it will be about the gender equity. Some of African countries have signed the protocol about gender in Election that required 30% female candidates for the list resented by the political parties.

The problem of having a big number of political parties is that the government is not able to give any subvention the PP (political Parties), that means each PP will run in his own cost or on the cost of the companies that the will defend the interest if elected. This generates an other type of problem of the equal chance of competition of candidates during the election and can open a door of corruption of candidate by companies.

Before limiting the number of Candidate, it will be necessary to limit the number of PP, but the big question is how?  In some countries, the limitation of the PP is according to the score or result of the previous elections for each PP and it’s must be clear in the law that establish the PP, in the Electoral law and in the Code of conduct of PP.  Generally the requirement is that each PP must have between 3 and 5% of valid votes and be electing one or two Members of Parliament during the national elections.

The limitation of candidature, is according to the law of each country, but normally the Universal Declaration of Human Right says that everyone who has the accomplishing the condition, has the right to be a voter or a candidate (The inclusivity) but each country has the possibility to limit the number of candidate for the feasibility problem. As many African countries still using the ballot paper, the no limitation of candidate can complicated the design of ballot paper, increase the logistic problem and increase the time of vote for each voter. An Example is coming from on Constituency of Kinshasa, the big town of the DRC where during the election of 2006, it was 856 candidates in a constituency for 4 seats. One ballot paper was 4 pages A2 paper format, because the law was required the number of the candidate, his full name, the logo of his political party as well as his picture. His was the biggest ballot paper in the world. Now imagine the size of the ballot box, and the time that the voter spent to check the ballot paper and mark the candidate.

An other major problem that the African EMB’s is facing, is the increasing number of independent candidate in the countries where they are allowed, this is the barrier to the limitation of candidate, and some voters lost already the trust to the PP and vote directly the Independent candidate. In the DRC, during the two Presidential elections the Head of the State presented himself as an independent even when it’s known that he is the moral authority of the Presidential Majority.

Why to limit the number of candidate by constituency? As I explained before, there are some reasons depending to each country, the common will be; the logistic, the cost of elections, the time of voting by each voter and also the push PP for coalitions.

En Ecuador Sudamerica, se aplica el principio y derecho fundamental de elegir y ser elegido, para el efecto el  candidato puede ser auspiciado por una partido o movimiento politico, sea militante, afiliado o no; esta una primera consideración.

El movimiento o partido politico debe estar legalmente registrado y haber cumplido con todos los requisitos legales para su funcionamiento y participación en los comicios.

Las organizaciones politicas que cumplan los requisitos de orden legal son registrados y autorizados para ñlos comicios sin que exista limitación de ninguna clase, esto es que, pueden haber tantas organizaciones politicas que cumplan dichos requisitos.

Nuestra división territorial electoral, establece circunscripciones determinadas con ámbito nacional, que son las elecciones para elecir presidente y vicepresidente de la República, Asamblesistas Nacionales, Miembros del Parlamento Andino, alli sufragan incluso los ecuatorianos que s eencuentran en el exterior. Luego tenemos las circunscripciones electorales provinciales tenemos 24 provincias, en donde se eligen a los asambleistas provinciales, de igual manera pueden participar todos los movimientos nacionales y organizaciones politicas provinciales, que tienen registro unicamente en esa circunscripción electoral. Luego tenemos 209 Cantones que son circunscripciones mas pequeñas en donde se eligen a los Alcaldes y Concejales de igual manera pueden participar el numero de organizacione spoliticas que tengan aprobado su funcionamiento en dichas jurisdicicones. Y por último, las Juntas Parrquiales Rurales que son gobiernos aut{onomos y cuyas jurisdicciones son las mas pequeñas teritorialmente, tambien pueden existir organizaciones politicas exclusivamente en esas jurisdicciones.

En las provinciuas de mayor población como son Pichincha; Guayas y Manabí se encuentran divididas en zonas electorales o circunscripciones electorales, en cada una de ellas, se registran como candidatos diferentes, en alguna sde ellas se eligen 4, 5, 6 y hasta 8 candidatos pro lista, con sus respectivos suplentes; si deben elegirse 5 asambleistas provinciales,  deben inscribir unicamente ese numero de candidatos en sus listas, para ello deben  efectuar elecciones primarias dentro de las organizaciones politicas y definir el numero d ecandidatos para cada jurisdiccion electoral. No pueden incribir mas candidatos que los espacios o curules que les corresponde en cada jurisdicción. El organismo electoral estatal no puede limitar la participación politica de las organizaciones politicas sorteando el numero de candidatos, si pasan del numero que deben llenar los curules o espacios de gobierno.

Además existe una disfusión de categorias filosóficas, ideológicas y de naturaleza politica que debería diferenciar las tendencias de cada partido político, la tradicional clasificación de entre izquierda, derecha e incluso ahora es muy comun conocer posiciones politicas de centro.

Estas caracteristicas ideológicas se han disuelto en la practica del ejercicio del poder o en las posiones de las organizaciones politicas, es muy comun conocer que una organización politica llamada de izquierda, impulsa la apertura del mercado por medio de Tratados de LIbre Comercio con paises de la región; contradicen los postulados del marxismo, cuando niegan la existencia d ela lucha de clases y organizan sus gobiernos ajenos a la clase obrera, y le traducen con el nombre de ciudadanía, misma categoria que njulita la existencia de clases en la sociedad, d ela misma manera los partidos de derecha, se oponen a la explotación de recursos naturales, como forma de protección del patrimonio nacional, impulsan el ahorro coperativista como formas de liberar d ela atadura y dependencia economica de los bancos y entidades crediticias internacionales; etc, etc. Los ejemplos sobrarían para determinar la falta declaridad en las propuestas ideológicas y politicas de las organizacione spoliticas, son muy difusas y crean confusión en los electores, no se sabe quien es de izquierda y quien de derecha y aun más los ambivalentes del centro.

En nuestro país tenemos excesivo numero de organizaciones pliticas en cada jurisdicción, sean nacional, provincial, cantonal, de ruralidad y de las circusncripciones epeciales del exterior; se esta estudando la posibilidad de restringir el numero de sujetos politicos, y a nuetro entender, la unica manera radica en elkevar el cuofeciente electoral alcanzado en los procesos electorales, actualmente quien alcance el 5% de votos validos totales de su jurisdicción puede seguir manteniendo su personalidad jurídica y seguir participando en las siguientes elecciones, que a nivel nacional corresponden de 16 millones corresponden 800 mil electores, pudiendo existir con tan pequeño respaldo politico, al momento 15 organizaciones nacionales. Si elevariamos al porcentaje de 10%, habría la posibilidad de limitar la existencia de ellos; ya que, existe una media histórica de ausentismo que llega al 30% de electores, quedando como votos válidos aproximadamente de 9 a 11 millones de sufragantes. Si elervamos al 10% el cuociente de respaldo electoral para que un partido politico siga existiendo, unicamente existirían 6 organizaciones politicas, de ellas se pueden depurar, ya que sienpre en u proceso electoral, existe un candidato o partido favorito que puede alcanzar quizas hasta un 40 % de respaldo popular, restanmdo el respaldo a otras organizaciones, mismas que podrían desaparecer si alcanzan menos del 10%. De esta manera, podrian competir y sobrevivir para las eleciones siguientes, no mas de 3 a 4 organizaciones politicas.

Otra forma para limitar la existencia de organizacione spoliticas que tiene la misma carga ideológica, filosófica y politica y es incrementando los requisitos para su existencia politica.

Thanks to all

In Tunisia there is no limitation of the number of candidate nominations for election . parties are registered to last for as long as they can. Actually 208 political parties are officially registered. In the last parliamentary  2014 election there were more than 9000 candidates for 217 seats. Parity between men and women is imposed on the candidate lists. About 40% of candidate lists were independent from political parties. In presidential election there is a condition of endorsement (10000 eligible voters or 10 deputies). In 2014 election there were 27 candidates nominated in the first round of presidential election. The number of registered voters was about 5300000. Population in Tunisia is almost 11million.   

I would suggest that restricting the number of candidates to 12 is rather arbitrary and a likely breach of the ICCPR and related rights to contest. Any restriction based on highly subjective policy similarities would also, in my view, not be reasonable grounds for exclusion under ICCPR. There is the matter of how, and by whom, similarities/distinctions are determined. The truth is that, recognising the greater challenge for election administrators of having a lot of parties or candidates, most restrictions are politically motivated.

Like Ronan, I would be concerned about any electoral system that tried to arbitrarily limit the number of candidates to a fixed number or to interpret and police parties' or candidates' platforms.

In particular, drawing lots to determine which candidates are allowed to stand sounds like a disastrously bad idea.  It could become a tactic to freeze out popular candidates (and perhaps has) - simply by flooding a constituency with opponent nominees, you decrease the chance that the candidate you don't want on the ballot will be drawn.  Imagine the chaos if the most popular candidate was not drawn to appear on the ballot!

A more common, and in my opinion more defensible, response to excessive and frivolous candidacies are rules which require a demonstrable threshold level of popular support before a political party can participate in some or all facets of the political contest, e.g. via minimum levels of party membership and/or numbers of signatures required to nominate.  Note that while support at previous elections may be sufficient evidence of support, it must not be the only path to demonstrating support, or else new parties can never arise.

Nomination fees also discourage candidates who are not serious about contesting an election.  In many places nomination fees are charged, but refunded to parties and candidates who gain a threshold level of support at the polls, making it less of a barrier to serious contenders.

En Ecuador y en América Latina no se limita la existencia de partidos políticos y menos por los principios ideológicos y plan de gobierno, esto se da por el derecho de libertad para organizarse políticamente y el derecho  universal de elegir y ser elegido.

Lo que se ha hecho es regular los requisitos para crear organizaciones políticas y para ser candidatos.

Tales requisitos están en leyes y reglamentos y a veces en la propia Constitución. 

Quienes no cumplen con los requisitos no pueden constituir partidos o movimientos políticos y tampoco pueden ser candidatos.

Question 1 :- In many countries, including my country of Ethiopia, a large number of political parties often contest elections but do not have distinct policy platforms - 

Answer 1:- In India, the situation is same as in Ethiopia. Here, some NGOs & civil society is struggling to convince political class, to legally register their poll promises, popularly known as ''Manifesto'' , with the EMBs (Election Commission of India at central level & State Election Commissioners at state level in this case).  There is recommendation given by us to the EMBs to create an office of ''Electoral Ombudsman'', who will be a central point of contact in case there is any dispute between parties & voters at large & this agency would play role of ''watchdog''.

Question 2 :- Rather than limiting the number of candidates eligible to run in an election, do any countries have a mechanism to deny the registration of a political party if it does not have distinct programs or policies from other parties that exist? Do any countries have experience limiting the number of political parties able to register?

Answer 2 :- In India, right now, we don't have any mechanism to deny registration of a political party, being it is mentioned in our constitution that any Indian citizen can form an association & register as political party. In our Central act known as Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, that governs registration & de-registration of political parties in India, powers of only registering political parties are granted to the supreme constitutional body known as Election Commission of India http://eci.nic.in but there is no provision to de-register parties.  Lots of parties are just mushrooming or registered for some other goals except contesting elections or for the betterment of society at large.

Whereas, in the state of Maharashtra, the State Election Commissioner had de-registered around 225 out of 350+ odd recognized political parties for non-compliance of some statutory rules & regulations, by utilizing its powers.

En mi pais Ecuador, Sudamérica, la existencia d epartidos políticos o movimientos polítcos se encuentran regulados por la Constitución de la Repúblicfa y por la Ley Organica de Elecciones, quienes deben reunir para su creación el 1.5 % de la totalidad de electores que consten en el Padrón Electoral utilizado en las últimas elecciones; que en número de afiliados o adherentes a las organizaciones políticas deben sumar cerca de 900.000 afiliaciones , que para garantizar la existencia de afiliaciones fallidas porque estan afiliados a otras organizaciones políticas, inexistencia de documentos d erespaldo del elector, mala firma, malos datos personales, etc. Deberán presentar al menos un millón y medio de afiliaciones. Quien no cumpla no puede tener personalidad ju´ridica y no puede participar en las eleciones con candidatos propios.

Esto es que, no existe organismo ajeno a la Función Electoral, que pueda limitar la participación politica de una organización que se enuentre legalmente registrada y aprobada; tampoco s epuede limitar el número de candidatos, ya que las curules o cargos de eleción popular se enuentran definidos antes de la seleciones, y en la carrera electoral, pueden participar todos quienes s eencuentren legalmente registrados y hayan cumplido con los requeisitos para ser candidatos y luego ser electos.

Para aprobar la existencia de un partido o movimiento político este debe cumplir los requisitos que establece la Constitución y la Ley; y para su aprobación debe presentar 1.- Programa de Gobierno.. 2 Declaratoria de principios ideológicos y filosóficos que les diferencia d elos demás partidos políticos. 3 Debe tener un nombre singular, que no contenga palabras o siglas parecidas a otra organización política y además no puede utiulizar el nombre del país o de personas de importancia que se encuentren vivas 4. Los símbolos, bandera, escudo, colores deben ser unicos, no pueden prestarse para confusiones con otras organizaciones políticas.

Por último, no existe norma legal que impida o determine el numero de organizaciones políticas; ya que, existen organizaciones politicas nacionales, hay otras que son provinciales, cantonales y hasta en la jurisdicción teritorial la mas pequeña que se llaman Juntas Parroquiales Rurales, que pueden actuar unicamente en su respectiva jurisdcción electoral, de esta manera, existen muchas organizaciones políticas que se registran para la contienda electoral, todas deben cumlir al menos con 1.5% del padron de elctores de cada jurisdicción electoral que quieran participar.

También pueden desaparecer las organizaciones políticas cuando en dos elecciones pluripersonales no alcancen el 5% del respaldo popular en las urnas; de esta manera pierden su inscripción y capacidad de participación politica. Comparto que debe limitarse la existencia de organizaciones políticas, pero elevando el cuociente electoral de respaldo, esto es de 5% a un 10% de la población electoral, con elolo desaparecerían al menos la mitas de organizaciones politicas, y tendriamos apenas de 4 a 5 partidos politicos a niven nacional.

In Mexico, there is a very detailed legislation in order to grant the rights of association, to vote and to be voted. The legislation may consider two different entities: political association and political parties. In order to register a political party it can be done only every 6 years, once there are general elections and they will have one year to get all the requirements. To form a political party there are two mechanism and each political association may choose between one of them. Both mechanisms will requiere geographic representation (2/3 of the 32 states) and a citizens percentage. One of the mechanism implies to get support at the district level and the other one at state level. The National Electoral Institue (INE) will check that meetings and citizen's support are fulfilled and once they get this support the political party will need to register the constitutional documents, platform and ideology, logo. Those documents can't be similar to any other political party, INE will corroborate the documents and if they are correct the registration will proceed. To keep the registration, the political party will require to get the 3% of the valid votes.

In 2014 the new electoral reform accepts the independent candidacies, in order to get the candidacy will require to get citizen's support around 850,000 citizen's signatures and geographical representation. INE will have validate the signatures and check if the candidate can be registered to be in the ballot.