DEMOCRACY AND THE DANGERS OF MULTIPARTY SYSTEM

 The idea of multiparty in a democracy is destructive in Africa, to say the least. It contradicts the purpose of democracy. Multiparty is generally conceived as a situation whereby political parties can be formed, contest elections and compete for power without restrictions, restraints nor constraints. On the other hand, Historians claim that democracy in its Greek defining foundations is derived from the word demokratia meaning 'rule by the people'. The statement 'rule by the people' though vague, and open to different interpretations, objectively looking, it is indispensable to conclude that the statement stands for a unified people with one purpose, and democracy is the vehicle towards achieving that common purpose in a society composed of multi-ethnicities, tribal belonging  and political leanings. The concept of multiparty in its political formation works against the primary objective of democracy, of giving political power to the people to decide who should rule over them, and the right to withdraw their decision when a need arises. Multiparty System divides societies and necessitate vote-splitting, resulting in absence of outright election winner allowing emergence of a new phenomenon whereby  the power to govern is not decided through elections by voters, and handed over to an election winner, but is decided by few individuals with vested interests, acting to advance their interests, and that of the political parties they represent. A completely undemocratic practice that undermines the principle of majority rule. A concept that takes away political power that should reside with voters, and hand it over to few individual representatives of political parties regardless of vote-accumulation and size, who subsequently create formations of convenience to oscillate around the fundamentals of democracy, and collectively usurp power. Rule and govern over the same voters who democratically rejected them, in the name of coalition governance. Statutory measures are needed to protect the multiparty system of democracy from the consequences of its own system.



.........................................................................................................................................by P Dekeya

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT IN ZIMBABWE

There has been whirlwind of political rumours in Zimbabwe, of the intention by ZANU PF to extend the term-limit of its leader and current President of the country, ED Mnangagwa beyond year 2028, whilst the Zimbabwe Constitution of 2013, limits the president's terms in office to two, on a five year basis. This two term-limit is stated by Section 95(2)(b), with an exception of 'unless otherwise provided in the Constitution', by the contents of the same paragraph (b). Although, Section 95(2)(b) provide a remedy to its peremptory requirement through an exception, Section 91(2) negates the exception by mentioning that a person is disqualified for election as President or Vice-President if he or she has already held office as President under this Constitution for two terms, whether continuous or not, and for the purpose of this subsection three or more years' service is deemed to be a full term. The success of these provisions, read together, depend on methodology in interpre...
Read more

THE GHOST OF DISPUTING ELECTION RESULTS : HAS DEMOCRACY LOST ITS VALUE IN SOUTHERN AFRICA?

A new political norm is on a rapid rise in Southern Africa politics. A ghost of disputing pronounced election-outcomes within the political spectrum. In the 23 August 2023 elections in Zimbabwe, the Citizens Coalition for Change, a major opposition party denounced and disputed election results as rigged stolen vote, a habitual allegation not new in Zimbabwe political circles. Then, uMkhonto WeSizwe political party in South Africa, threatened the Independent Electoral Commission, an electoral  body with legal action in the 2024 elections, claiming the announced election results deflected from the accurate election outcome due to foreseeable irregularities and vote manipulation. The opposition parties in Mozambique claimed that the October 9, 2024 election results were rigged and refused to accept it, leading to violent clashes, and a court challenge. In Namibia, the biggest opposition party, the Independent Patriots for Change, after losing elections, proclaimed its intention to cha...
Read more

THE GREAT LAKES REGION CONFLICT: A THEOREM OF THE CONGO WAR

The Democratic Republic of Congo, has been engaged in a silent protracted war with no end in sight. A war that has occasionally resurfaced, and the people of Congo had endured the misery of this war for far too, for it to continue ignored. A lasting peace is needed. This is a crisis rooted in the colonial project, seeded in the decisions of the Berlin Conference that curved Africa boundaries, guided by the imperial objective, to secure and exploit Africa resources in the desire of colonialists occupier countries of that time, who still today harbour keen interest in clandestinely accessing the natural riches of Africa, as evidenced by this ever-ending DRC war. The DRC has experienced two atrocious wars in its life, the First Congo War, and Second Congo War that ended in 2003. War destabilizes a country and creates a vacuum for competing superpowers scrambling for resources to interfere through war of proxies,  in its modernity form, and exploit natural resources out of the victim c...
Read more