Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy
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Parties resolve to strengthen internal party democracy at ESARP conference
'The mistrust that the general public has in political parties must be reversed!'
This is was the message that the Chair of the Malawi Electoral Commission and Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeal, Her Lordship Justice Anastazia Msosa, put across to representatives of over 42 political parties (both ruling and opposition) from Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, as she opened a two day regional conference at Mount Soche Hotel in Blantyre, Malawi on 13 March 2008. Organised under the auspices of NIMD's East and Southern Africa Regional Programme (ESARP) in conjunction with the Malawi Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD-M), the conference was devoted to an examination of internal party processes and political practices against the basic tenets of democracy.
The conference offered political parties an opportunity to explore as to how they can improve internal party democracy. At the same time, the conference also afforded the participants, representing political parties from six countries in East and Southern Africa, to interact and explore solutions to the common challenges facing the development of democracy in the region. In this context, the conference also addressed models of (public) funding of political parties, the formation and management of pre-and post elections coalitions and floor crossing.
Attending the conference from The Netherlands were Ms Sharon Dijksma, Deputy Minister for Education, Culture and Science, and her Senior Political Adviser, Mr Sherlo Esajas. Together, they delivered an excellent and insightful presentation on the process, mechanics and challenges of building political coalitions, based on their extensive practical experience with coalition building in the Netherlands.
As mutual learning is a basic principle that underpins ESARP, the conference participants undertook a deep reflection on the December 2007 elections in Kenya and its aftermath. They also discussed the developments in Zimbabwe, where general elections are due on March 29, with the view to draw lessons for the region. The two cases clearly demonstrate that as much as democracy is on the move, there are issues which require further attention. Constitutional reforms, fair land reforms and addressing poverty are common concerns in that respect.
At the conference Kenya handed over the ESARP chairmanship for 2008 to Malawi. Zambia was elected deputy. As chair of the programme, CMD-Malawi will, among other things, facilitate the preparations for the 2009 conference, which the participants resolved should be held in Kenya.
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