BY GETACHEW MINAS
Political parties build coalitions to win elections. These coalitions bring their resources and supporters to create advantages and fulfill their objectives they aspire for. In the process, they may as well face disadvantages that undermine their objectives. The political atmosphere and context influence the types of coalitions that parties form. Party coalition processes need to be built around communication, consultation, consensus and compromise. Coalition-building can be broken down into a five-step cycle. These steps are developing a party strategy; negotiating a coalition; getting started; working in coalition; and drawing lessons learned.
It is useful to describe issues that parties should address at each of the five steps. The initial step of developing a party strategy includes tools that parties can use to prepare for possible coalition-building. This includes “clarifying” the regulatory frameworks and internal party process to be followed, establishing a team of partners for designing research and strategy, and preparing proposals for negotiations. The next step involves administrative arrangements that may be needed to support the negotiation process. Parties negotiate different approaches that help to reach compromises.
The third step highlights the importance of coalition agreements. It clarifies the process that parties should follow in finalizing the coalition. They communicate its contents to party members and the broader public. In the next step of working in a coalition, some of the structures and systems that parties have used to manage relationships and information-sharing are elaborated. The last step involves drawing lessons learned, outlining some options that parties can use to review coalition accomplishments and lessons learned. The review lesson includes the impacts coalition-building has on theparties.
The review processes make it possible to get different perspectives on the impact of the coalition on the party. It reflects any lessons learned that can inform future coalition-building efforts. The tools for coalition-building include different signs that are referred here. The first sign marks illustrative examples drawn from research on different coalitions around the world. Politicians from different parts of the world shared their experiences on best practices and lessons learned. They reflected on their practices of working in coalitions with parties in their respective countries.
In democratic systems, political parties compete for support, mobilizing the people behind distinct sets of policy proposals and political values. When in power, they seek to implement their vision. As opposition parties, they present alternatives to ruling party proposals, holding the government accountable for “omission” and inadvertence of the executive. This competition of ideas encourages each party to refine its own proposals and seek common ground with others. This approach can also result in better outcomes for the public. Thus political “pluralism” and competition are necessary for democracy to function. In vibrant democratic systems, parties embrace civil competition but are also capable of providing the debate, dialogue and compromise required for democracy to function.
Building interparty trust: Dialogue and cooperation are necessary to build interparty trust. These help to reach a consensus on the fundamental rules and structures regulating political competition and governance. They also facilitate arrangements for peace and security and for high degree of stability. Traditionally, political “consensus” has helped in the management of proceeds from a country’s natural resources. Where there are rich natural resources, for example, it is important to have a consensus on how to use them. It isvital and imperative“not” to make politics out of this. In addition, particular parties may find it necessary or advantageous to partner with others to accomplish particular goals.
A coalition is usually a “temporary pact” or partnership between two or more political parties, for the purpose of gaining more influence or power than the individual groups or parties can hope to achieve on their own. Coalition members focus on their common objectives and pool resources such as policy expertise, funding, and geographic strengths to achieve their purposes. They can build on each other’s strengths and gain advantage on issues of common interest. With a particular objective in mind such as winning an election or referendum, passing a specific piece of legislation, or forming a government, party coalitions have a limited life span until the objectives are achieved.
Merger of parties: In a merger two or more political parties agree to create a permanent unified structure and cease to exist as “separate” organizations. Parties planning a merger may initially form a “coalition” as an intermediate and transitional step to a permanent union. Here, coalitions are defined to include: a) electoral alliances; b) coalition governments; c) grand coalition; d) governments of national unity; and e) legislative coalitions. The following section provides a brief overview of different types of coalitions. The main purpose of an “electoral alliance” is to combine the resources of two or more parties to improve electoral outcomes for the members of the alliance.
a) Electoral alliance may require uniting behind common candidates or agreeing not to compete against each other in particular electoral districts. Often, the ultimate goal is to achieve the vote share required to win an election, achieve majority in the legislature and to form the next government. In proportional-representation systems, coalitions may be created to meet the thresholds required for representation in parliament. An electoral alliance may help secure seats in parliament. Coalition-building may also be necessary to meet legal criteria for fielding candidates. Despite their initial focus on electoral victory, electoral alliance coalitions should also plan for how they will govern if successful. The failure to develop such plans has fueled internal rifts, hampering the performance of electoral alliances that have found themselves in government.
Coalitions normally agree to present a joint candidate for president; pool votes for parliamentary seats by not competing against each other; and evenly split cabinet portfolios among them. The member parties sign detailed agreements anticipating future problems related to power sharing. Usually, coalitions experience problems shortly “after” winning elections.
While some members accuse the leaders of the ruling coalition party for violating the terms of their agreements in allocating ministerial posts, others accuse the coalition of rigging the candidate selection process to benefit favored aspirants. Eventually the coalition breaks.
b) Coalition governments usually occur when no single political party wins a clear majority in the parliament. In parliamentary systems, typically, the largest party in the parliament reaches agreement with like-minded parties to form a cabinet, a legislative majority and a government. Based on the policy agreements for the coalition, the cabinet includes representatives from the “different” member parties. Its legislative proposals are typically supported by members of parliament from “member” parties. Minority coalition governments have sufficient support to form the executive in parliamentary systems, but lack a clear majority in the parliament. As a result, the executive has to “constantly negotiate” support to secure passage of its legislative proposals. In presidential systems, when the president’s party lacks a majority in the parliament, coalition-building may be required to reach agreement on a legislative agenda that a majority of parliamentarians can support.
A shift in the balance of power from the national government to state governments may empower smaller, regional parties. As countrywide parties are weakened, regional authorities become strong and regional parties gain influence. Because of this, countrywide “government coalitions” become ordinary elements. Generally speaking, coalitions governif they retain their parliamentary seats through electoral alliance winning additional seats. The leading member of a coalition may need enough seats in the parliament to form a government on its own. The coalition members may agree to a list of policy issues that they would be willing to support.
c) Grand coalitions occur when a country’s main political parties, those that are typically the main competitors for control of the government, unite in a coalition government. Coalition-building between these natural competitors can be especially difficult given the traditional rivalry between them. Grand coalitions may be formed during moments of national political crisis because no other systems are possible or to limit the influence of one or more fringe parties. Most of them have been formed along ideological lines with several partners.
d) Governments of national unity are usually formed when countries face national political crises. They often have responsibility for overseeing the development of a new constitution and other fundamental reforms. The allocation of seats and responsibilities may be negotiated without the benefit of a democratic election or agreement on the outcome of a vote. Disagreement over the outcome of elections leads governments to break the coalition. Even when elections indicate a clear outcome, governments of national unity may be formed given the need for consensus around fundamental reforms. Countries may include in their Constitution a clause allowing any party with more than a given number of seats in the parliament to claim cabinet positions and enter government.
e) Legislative coalitions typically involve an agreement to pursue specific legislative goals without a division of cabinet/executive responsibilities. These are most common among opposition parties. In presidential systems, an executive who lacks a majority in the parliament may negotiate a legislative coalition around parliamentary agenda “without” a division of cabinet roles. Political parties may succeed in obtaining more votes in national elections through negotiations. The resulting partisanship plagues countries, often paralyzing the government and frustrating the electorate.
Conclusion: Party coalition takes place only if the ruling party fails to win the votes of the majority. It is forced to negotiate with other contending parties to form a coalition. The process of party coalition needs to be based on consultation and consensus. Parties have to compromise on certain thorny issues. They have to respond to the needs of the electorate and respect their promises. Agreement among parties is normally based on consultation and compromise. Ethiopian parties should learn lessons from coalition parties in other countries. Party apparatchiks or cadres should learn the merits and demerits of party coalitions. They need to sacrifice undeserved political gains through illegal means.Cadres have to stop rule by terror, respecting “party coalition” that leads to peace, affluence, equity and people’s power.
The Ethiopian Herald June 27/2021
