people to seek elective or appointive positions to serve their respective constituencies. Political parties are, therefore, vehicles for political education and mobilisation; interest articulation and aggregation aimed at clinching political power, ultimately. Examples of party democracies abound USA with Democrats and Republican parties; Britain with Labour and Conservative Parties; Nigeria with PDP, APC, etc.
Each
established political party in a party democracy operates based on set rules
and manifesto that guide the conduct of registered members. The rules,
manifesto and decisions or resolutions of the party is binding on all members
but must not contradict the extant laws of the country or state.
Elected
representatives, in party democracy, are individuals who have leveraged on
political party platforms and won elections to serve in a govern political
office be it Councillor, Chairman of a local government council, member, House
of assembly, member House of Representatives, Senate, governor or President,
etc. While in office, such representatives are expected to project, protect and serve the ideals of the
party upon which they rode to come to the office. The party caucus is expected to
serve as custodian, defender and promoter of party standpoints and resolutions
while in government.
Party
democracies and elected representatives do not operate in a vacuum, but within a
political space: A constituency which could be a polling unit, ward, local
government, state or country as the case may be. In this constituency, you find
passive or active political participants.
Active political participants in a party democracy are registered party
members some of which for elected or appointed to serve the party as party
officials or representatives in government and could be referred to as party men. Passive members are citizens who have the civic duty to register and
vote during elections as well as perform other civic obligations like respect
for the national flag, the defence and promotion of the common good of the society.
In
a party democracy, you cannot detach the actions of a party man from the
resolutions of his party platform. Once the party structure (caucus in
government) has taken a stand, except a party member wants to excuse himself
from the party, he cannot act otherwise. It is as simple but serious as that!
The
point made above might not mean anything to a freelance political player,
observer or commentator who is not card carrying party member (or elected
representative). For instance, a civil servant or businessman or a Social Media
critic who is shouting this is right or this is wrong has no questions to
answer after such shouting but for a party man, your actions or inactions must
be subjected to that of the party to see if such amounts to anti - party
activity or not.
In
a party democracy, the community and people vote their representatives, but only
on the platform of a party. Therefore, the loyalty of such beneficiaries to the
party is sacrosanct. No pretence about it except you want to excuse yourself
from party politics. In fact, it is politically immoral to jettison the popular
resolve of your party even if you have personal reservations!
When
contentious issues throw up in party democracy, there is no point casting
aspersions on individual personalities. Those of us who are not Party actors
need to show some empathy and understanding with those who are because their
actions are mostly and always based on corporate (party) resolutions!
Generally
speaking, taking or arriving at a political decision is not straight-jacketed
but a proactively painstaking process that requires tact and stamina which
is of sound political value. Political decisions are action and inflexion
points which often flow spontaneously and in an uncertain atmosphere. There are
several reasons for this, but only a few could be reflected here. First, is that
human beings who take political decisions and their neighbours to which these
decisions relate are by nature very complex and unpredictable. The second is
that the political space upon which the people operate in not constant, but
fluid, dynamic, full of tendencies, contradictions and counterbalancing
opportunities which might be politically promising but vague and could be
practically unrealistic. Opportunities and promises in politics change so much
in the same way as they tendencies!
It
is important to state here that there is no sitting on the fence in party politics and so those asking their
elected representatives to stand aloof or stay neutral are not being realistic
as far as the game is concerned. Elected members are representatives under
their respective platforms. Therefore, if the stand each takes has not
contradicted that of their party, then, they are politically on course as far
as party democracy is concerned!
Members
of the same political platform could hold binary standpoints, that is, disagree
at caucus or party level. However, where such disagreement (s) gravitate
towards the direction or directions that are considered, in the estimation of
the party leadership, to be injurious to its fortune, then, it can hurriedly
intervene by calling its members to order or dialogue. Where dialogue fails,
the the position or actions of members considered to be at variance with that
of the party are sanctioned. That is what sometimes results in suspension and
even expulsion of erring members from
their parties.
When
political issues become highly contentious (and they often are) even at party
levels, caution is often taken to avoid infiltration and distabilisation by
Fifth columnist(s). A Fifth Columnist is someone or group of persons considered
to be sympathetic to, or working for political opponents, opposition or enemies
in a contentious political lockjam. The Fifth Columnist (s) could be real or
imaginary but once such perception is formed about an individual or groups of
individuals, the political battle line(s) are drawn.
Politics,
in the postulation of Mao Tsetung, is war without bloodshed; as war is politics
with bloodshed. In this light, politics is a war and politicians could fight
and fight dirty when the game assumes desperate dimensions and have to do with
their survival in the political space. That is where suspensions, expulsions,
impeachments and in extreme cases (if not tamed), could lead to politically
motivated assassinations, arson and full blown wars, especially, when the key
actors are political hardliners and desperados. In other words, there is a thin
line between politics and war when the political actors graduates from being
democratic or civil power seekers to blood thirsty warlords!
In
politics, generally, no political platform can afford to willingly surrender
power to its opponent(s). In every given circumstance, a political party whose
primary target is to canvass for political powers and legitimacy has the sacred
duty to jealously guard it, and at all cost when clinched because once it slips
away, it will be hard to regain it, especially where the ruling party is being
accused of non - performance either rightly or wrongly, or the system is
operated based on zero-sum-game, a political culture where the winner takes
all!
The
court of public opinion does matter but, sadly, to a very limited extend. This
is the delimma of most civil jurisprudence. The issue of legality or otherwise
of the action political representatives or groups often take in any given
circumstances (beyond civil dialogue), can only be determined by the courts.
The general public is at liberty to hold divergent views about such actions,
that is the beauty of democracy but, ultimately, it is the court that will have
the final and binding verdict!
In
constitutional and party democracy, playing to the gallery, at best, could only
be a cheap ploy to woo cheap public sympathy but, beyond that, such wild goose
chase cannot fix the problem (s). Party democracy strives on two wheels. First,
is the wheel of dialogue, sustained by concessions (give and take) and objective
sacrifice. Seeking redress in the court is the second and last wheel
that can be resorted to for help. Anything outside of these amounts to act of
lawlessness as far as the law is concerned. And lawlessness is not and cannot
be a sustained and soothing antidote to any allegation against lawlessness!
The
ability to be emotionally stable in the face of contentious concerns and frustrations in a party
democracy is a mark of political maturity, stamina and sportsmanship. May God
help us as citizens, whether as active party men, passive actors and or
vantaged commentators to be part of the expected remedy and not brewers of more
political problems that are capable of
rocking or grounding the fragile system.
A
lot needs to be done to educate innocent citizens on the workings and dynamics
of our subsisting democratic system. If critical institutions that ought to
shoulder this responsibility failed flat in shouldering it, then, it not the
fault of the citizens when they react out of proportion in matters arising and
affecting them in the system.
Do
not forget that like an apple fruit, 2023 general election is hanging around
the corner. Plus or minus, primary elections for all political parties are likely
to be conducted in less than a year from now. Political parties and politicians
are already strategising to win at all levels throughout the process of
electioneering campaigns. Therefore, we are cautioned to listen carefully and
think clearly before subscribing to any subtle narrative or brand of Politics
political actors are advertising or peddling.
We
are doomed when we become so sheepish in buying into cheap propaganda or half
truth political gospel. Do not be hypnotised or decieved by any merchant of
political deception. Only personal contentment and sound political knowledge
and morals could guarantee immunity from dubious political traps!
(Modest
Thoughts with Ayuba Yilgak'ha, November 8, 2021; SMS: 08116181263; E-mail:
loisayuba420@gmail.com)
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