Lack of ‘internal democracy’ within political parties impl...
- All over the world, there is a tendency in political parties towards the concentration of power in one or few leaders at the top. Parties do not keep membership registers, do not hold organisational meetings and do not conduct internal elections regularly.
- Ordinary members of the party do not get sufficient information on what happens inside the party.
- They do not have the means or the connections needed to influence the decisions. As a result, the leaders assume greater power to make decisions in the name of the party.
- Since one or a few leaders exercise paramount power in the party, those who disagree with the leadership find it difficult to continue in the party. More than loyalty to party principles and policies, personal loyalty to the leader becomes more important.
Lack of ‘internal democracy’ within political parties impl...
Concentration of power at the top in the party:
- Lack of internal democracy within political parties often leads to a concentration of power at the top.
- This means that key decision-making processes are controlled by a select few individuals within the party.
- Without internal democracy, party members may not have a say in important matters such as candidate selection, policy decisions, or party strategies.
- This can result in a lack of transparency and accountability within the party.
Provincial decentralization of the party:
- On the other hand, provincial decentralization of the party implies that power is distributed among different regions or provinces.
- This can help in ensuring that the party is more responsive to the needs and concerns of different communities.
- However, lack of internal democracy can hinder effective decentralization as power may still be centralized at the top levels of the party.
- Without mechanisms for internal democracy, even decentralized structures may not function effectively.
Therefore, in the context of the given options, the correct statement is "1 only" as lack of internal democracy is more likely to lead to a concentration of power at the top within a political party.