Refractory Frontier: Intra-party Democracy in the Zambian Polity
Despite the important role that intra-party democracy plays in democratic consolidation, particularly in third-wave democracies, it has not received as much attention as inter-party democracy. Based on the Zambian polity, this article uses the concept of selectocracy to explain why, to a large exten...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Hradec Králové
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Modern Africa |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://195.113.118.27/modernafrica/article/view/156 |
| _version_ | 1797202573323665408 |
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| author | John Bwalya Owen B. Sichone |
| author_facet | John Bwalya Owen B. Sichone |
| author_sort | John Bwalya |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Despite the important role that intra-party democracy plays in democratic consolidation, particularly in third-wave democracies, it has not received as much attention as inter-party democracy. Based on the Zambian polity, this article uses the concept of selectocracy to explain why, to a large extent, intra-party democracy has remained a refractory frontier. Two traits of intra-party democracy are examined: leadership transitions at party president-level and the selection of political party members for key leadership positions. The present study of four political parties: United National Independence Party (UNIP), Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), United Party for National Development (UPND) and Patriotic Front (PF) demonstrates that the iron law of oligarchy predominates leadership transitions and selection. Within this milieu, intertwined but fluid factors, inimical to democratic consolidation but underpinning selectocracy, are explained.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T20:07:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e7469808fc244522994322f804a3b4e3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2336-3274 2570-7558 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T08:05:35Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Hradec Králové |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Modern Africa |
| spelling | doaj.art-e7469808fc244522994322f804a3b4e32024-04-17T11:01:22ZengUniversity of Hradec KrálovéModern Africa2336-32742570-75582018-12-0162Refractory Frontier: Intra-party Democracy in the Zambian PolityJohn Bwalya0Owen B. Sichone1The Copperbelt University, ZambiaThe Copperbelt University, ZambiaDespite the important role that intra-party democracy plays in democratic consolidation, particularly in third-wave democracies, it has not received as much attention as inter-party democracy. Based on the Zambian polity, this article uses the concept of selectocracy to explain why, to a large extent, intra-party democracy has remained a refractory frontier. Two traits of intra-party democracy are examined: leadership transitions at party president-level and the selection of political party members for key leadership positions. The present study of four political parties: United National Independence Party (UNIP), Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), United Party for National Development (UPND) and Patriotic Front (PF) demonstrates that the iron law of oligarchy predominates leadership transitions and selection. Within this milieu, intertwined but fluid factors, inimical to democratic consolidation but underpinning selectocracy, are explained. https://195.113.118.27/modernafrica/article/view/156Intra-party democracyLeadership TransitionEthnicitySelectocracyThird Wave Democracies |
| spellingShingle | John Bwalya Owen B. Sichone Refractory Frontier: Intra-party Democracy in the Zambian Polity Modern Africa Intra-party democracy Leadership Transition Ethnicity Selectocracy Third Wave Democracies |
| title | Refractory Frontier: Intra-party Democracy in the Zambian Polity |
| title_full | Refractory Frontier: Intra-party Democracy in the Zambian Polity |
| title_fullStr | Refractory Frontier: Intra-party Democracy in the Zambian Polity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Refractory Frontier: Intra-party Democracy in the Zambian Polity |
| title_short | Refractory Frontier: Intra-party Democracy in the Zambian Polity |
| title_sort | refractory frontier intra party democracy in the zambian polity |
| topic | Intra-party democracy Leadership Transition Ethnicity Selectocracy Third Wave Democracies |
| url | https://195.113.118.27/modernafrica/article/view/156 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT johnbwalya refractoryfrontierintrapartydemocracyinthezambianpolity AT owenbsichone refractoryfrontierintrapartydemocracyinthezambianpolity |