Political Parties and Popular Representation in Myanmar’s Democratisation Process
The article examines the role of political parties in Myanmar’s democratisation process. We argue that the substance of democratisation depends on popular representation through political parties but question their capacity to provide such representation. Examining capacity through the concept of...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2015-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journals.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/jsaa/article/view/904 |
| _version_ | 1818406662083444736 |
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| author | Kristian Stokke Khine Win Soe Myint Aung |
| author_facet | Kristian Stokke Khine Win Soe Myint Aung |
| author_sort | Kristian Stokke |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The article examines the role of political parties in Myanmar’s democratisation process. We argue that the substance of democratisation depends on popular representation through political parties but question their capacity to provide such representation. Examining capacity through the concept of party institutionalisation, we find that most parties have not been able to build effective organisational structures. However, we also find a degree of party institutionalisation in the form of rootedness in society. Political cleavages between those favouring authoritarian rule over democratic rule and Burman nationhood over ethnic notions of nationhood have produced divisions between state-centred parties associated with Myanmar’s authoritarian legacy and society-centred pro-democracy and ethnic parties. Although being less dichotomous than in the past, we argue that these cleavages continue to provide a basis for party identity and rootedness in society. We conclude that further development of political parties and popular representation will be shaped by the relations between parties, the state, and society – where individual parties are shaped according to their tendencies towards state-centred cartel parties or society-centred mass parties. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T09:15:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fda9cd61950c4d28ac1e1c51def10799 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1868-1034 1868-4882 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T09:15:30Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs |
| spelling | doaj.art-fda9cd61950c4d28ac1e1c51def107992022-12-21T23:08:27ZengSAGE PublishingJournal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs1868-10341868-48822015-01-01343335Political Parties and Popular Representation in Myanmar’s Democratisation ProcessKristian Stokke0Khine Win1Soe Myint Aung2University of OsloSandhi Governance Institute in YangonPolitical Science at the University of OsloThe article examines the role of political parties in Myanmar’s democratisation process. We argue that the substance of democratisation depends on popular representation through political parties but question their capacity to provide such representation. Examining capacity through the concept of party institutionalisation, we find that most parties have not been able to build effective organisational structures. However, we also find a degree of party institutionalisation in the form of rootedness in society. Political cleavages between those favouring authoritarian rule over democratic rule and Burman nationhood over ethnic notions of nationhood have produced divisions between state-centred parties associated with Myanmar’s authoritarian legacy and society-centred pro-democracy and ethnic parties. Although being less dichotomous than in the past, we argue that these cleavages continue to provide a basis for party identity and rootedness in society. We conclude that further development of political parties and popular representation will be shaped by the relations between parties, the state, and society – where individual parties are shaped according to their tendencies towards state-centred cartel parties or society-centred mass parties.http://journals.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/jsaa/article/view/904Political ScienceHuman GeographyDemocratization StudiesMyanmardemocratisationpolitical partiespopular representation300320322321Myanmar1990-2015 |
| spellingShingle | Kristian Stokke Khine Win Soe Myint Aung Political Parties and Popular Representation in Myanmar’s Democratisation Process Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs Political Science Human Geography Democratization Studies Myanmar democratisation political parties popular representation 300 320 322 321 Myanmar 1990-2015 |
| title | Political Parties and Popular Representation in Myanmar’s Democratisation Process |
| title_full | Political Parties and Popular Representation in Myanmar’s Democratisation Process |
| title_fullStr | Political Parties and Popular Representation in Myanmar’s Democratisation Process |
| title_full_unstemmed | Political Parties and Popular Representation in Myanmar’s Democratisation Process |
| title_short | Political Parties and Popular Representation in Myanmar’s Democratisation Process |
| title_sort | political parties and popular representation in myanmara€™s democratisation process |
| topic | Political Science Human Geography Democratization Studies Myanmar democratisation political parties popular representation 300 320 322 321 Myanmar 1990-2015 |
| url | http://journals.sub.uni-hamburg.de/giga/jsaa/article/view/904 |
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