Do we need more political parties?

On the other side, there are those who will argue that, minus a few matters, the current lineup of political parties looks like the same party. That is, they are imitations of the ruling party with minor alterations, hence the need for other parties to form a genuine opposition to the current rulers.

Regardless of how one feels about that number, it would still be nowhere near the number of political parties in countries like the DR Congo or Angola, where the tallies run in the hundreds, but would be way beyond Eritrea, which is a one-party state.

Political parties have proven to be an enduring feature of political organization, regardless of whether a country is considered a democracy, a dictatorship, or anything in between. This is made more remarkable by the fact that there is little enthusiasm for political parties, which, in turn, have increasingly relied on individuals or a few elites to garner public support.

There have been elections in the past with low turnouts despite leading political parties claiming to have members and supporters in the millions.

Still, they have endured for a variety of reasons, ranging from their being the best form of political organization compared to other alternatives like mass protests or trade unions. There is the question of a lot of money to be made once a party makes the cut through elections, donations, and contributions. After all, political parties are among the institutions whose books are constantly questionable.

There is also the issue of the constitutional and legal framework, which restricts political organization around political parties. In part, this provides an explanation for the number of parties seeking registration. With no independent candidates and difficult restrictions on political alliances that do not lead to the disappearance of political parties, it makes sense to have a longer list of political parties, as it is the only avenue for participation on political podiums.

It could also be down to timing. With the country going through a long political transition, those behind these new parties have calculated that the current political climate is favourable for them to clinch registration. More political parties registered will be seen as a sign of the good’ democratic health of the country.

Very little to nothing is known about these parties seeking registration. It could be more of the same or worse.

The good thing about political theatre is that the bar is set depressingly low.

There is an endless need for improvement. There is an endless need for imagination. There is an endless need for political parties to reinvent themselves and reconnect with voters. With the passage of time, political parties have parted ways with ideology and come to be defined by a single or two issues, or, alarmingly, have attempted to appeal to the fault lines of religion or region. It is not beyond the realm of possibilities that a new political party could find support and do things differently, having learned the lessons of the last three decades of multipartism.

Of course, that is an optimistic view of reality. The majority of these parties will go nowhere and disappear before they can make any significant contribution to the political landscape of the country.

Then again, few other groups can compete with politicians in selling fantasies to the people.