KARACHI, Aug 6: Political parties are the pillars of democratic institutions and a functional, transparent, participatory and accountable democracy is essential to achieve development objectives.

This was crux of a debate on “The role of political parties in democracy” at a training workshop for political activists, arranged by National Democratic Institute for International Affairs in cooperation with the Centre for Civic Education Pakistan under the USAID-funded Political Party Development Programme on Saturday.

The theme of the workshop was effective party management. The members of Pakistan Muslim League, Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-N, Jamiat Ulama-i-Islam (F), and Muttahida Qaumi Movement participated in the workshop.

Julie Koenen-Grant, Director Office of Democracy and Governance USAID-Pakistan, spoke about the US experience on the role of political parties in democracy.

Hamish St Clair Daniel, the UK Deputy High Commissioner in Karachi, and Verena von Roedern, Consul-General in Karachi of the Federal Republic of Germany, shared the UK and German experiences on the subject, respectively.

Julie Koenen-Grant said that the concept of “loyal opposition” was central to any democracy. “It means that despite sometimes deep ideological differences, all sides in the political debate share unquestioned loyalty to their country and respect for its institutions,” she said.

“In the US, parties recognize that political views are fluid and changeable, and that consensus can often arise out of the clash of ideas and values in peaceful, free, and public debate,” she added.

She said a political party needed to occasionally update its positions and belief to ensure its relevance to the voters. “Parties must also find a way to get this accomplished. Political parties need to be viewed as organic structures. They need to grow, attract new members, and grow new leadership,” she remarked.

Verena von Roedern said that in Germany, politics without or outside of parties was inconceivable. She said the German electoral system was based on a combination of majority vote and proportional representation, different from the predominantly two-party systems for example in the US and Britain. “This system ensures chances for more than two parties to be represented in the parliament and adds check and balance to the party forming the government,” she added.

Hamish St Clair Daniel said party organizations in the UK combined well-developed central party machines with strong local infrastructures. “Constituency associations in each electoral district are formed of party members and activists, who elect their officers, raise funds, campaign locally and approve candidates. They are subject to guidance rather than direction from the centre. Parties in the UK also have well-developed mechanisms for electing their leaders and main office-holders,” the UK Deputy High Commissioner said.

More than 173 activists belonging to nine parties from Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab participated in these training workshops.—PPI