Political parties and party systems in Africa's illiberal democracies

Abstract

The article attempts to capture some of the recent trends in Africa since the introduction of multiparty politics. It describes some key features of Africa's fledgling democracies and examines critically the notion of a growing trend of ‘illiberal’ or pseudo‐democracy in Africa. The article goes on to analyse central characteristics of the political parties in these countries, and discuss the types of political parties currently contesting elections in Africa. It examines the emergence of several distinct party systems in the region by analysing the number of parties represented in the legislature, the degree of polarisation, and the patterns of party competition. The article concludes by speculating on the prospects for democratic consolidation in these African countries given the functions that their political parties perform.