Political parties are essential to democracy, and indeed the vitality of a democracy can be measured by the condition of parties within that democracy. While some have argued that political parties are in decline and no longer function as they once did, it is USAID’s opinion that they remain indispensable to the promotion and support of democracy in developing and transition countries because they organise, aggregate and articulate the political interests of citizens. As part of its efforts to promote democracy, USAID is involved in political party development assistance. This requires long-term support for the organisational, behavioural and governance roles which political parties play.
Political parties express and aggregate political options, offer choice, generate dialogue and competition, socialise citizens to democratic values and behaviour, and provide leadership. They play a vital role in consolidating nascent democratic principles, but they can only function if the political will is immanent within society. To support this:
- USAID’s political party development work is shaped both by US domestic law and by Agency guidelines provided by USAID’s Center for Democracy and Governance (a list of these statutes and guidelines is provided in the document).
- USAID has identified four specific programme concerns: The necessary levels of inclusiveness in selecting participants; interference in the domestic affairs of sovereign states; the electoral influence of programming; and the timing of programmes.
- USAID notes that omission of certain political parties from the programme, particularly where those parties are in government, may lead to charges of interference in the election.
- The types of formats most frequently used include multi- and single-party training seminars, workshops, conferences and roundtables, as well as consultations, foreign study and training missions and visits from international delegations.
- Programmes include training in development and implementation of campaign strategies, opinion polling, message development, communications and media relations, recruitment and fundraising.
USAID’s political party development assistance has three goals: The establishment and organisational development of competing political parties and all levels of government; provision of electoral choice to citizens through these parties; and the democratic governance of societies by these parties in both government and opposition. So far it is the first of these goals that has received the most attention and funding from USAID. USAID considers that:
- In order to avoid influencing the outcome of elections, assistance should be inclusive and equitable and under no condition should it include financial support.
- To avoid interfering in the domestic affairs of sovereign states, clear criteria must be used to select parties for assistance, and the laws of the state in which USAID is operating must be respected.
- While programmes must be as transparent and inclusive as possible, assistance should only be provided to those parties which can demonstrate a commitment to free and fair elections and to democratic principles, and for those which renounce violence.
- Programmes aimed at the development of political parties should be wound up roughly a month before any elections take place so as to avoid influencing the results. The only exception should be the training of election monitors.
