Why have political parties been chosen as the key element to strengthen democracy?
We all know that political parties are institutions that lie at the heart of any democratic environment. Without democratic political parties you cannot have a flourishing and democratic country. So they are at the heart of the democracy: they are the agents and the instruments through which the peoples’ aspirations and interests can be voiced. Although political parties may well be discredited institutions, they are the only means of articulating democratic alternatives be they in politics, economics or any other policy sphere. That is why we think getting it right with political parties will push the democratic agenda far ahead – more so than with any other institution. International Women’s Day is approaching. What can you say about women’s participation in politics in Africa, what are the major trends? I think Africa is a mixed bag and provides a diverse picture. Countries like Rwanda, with its current parliamentary representation of close to 50 per cent women, even surpasses the i
