New book a crash course for political parties

A NEW political book published last week by the Namibia Institute for Democracy (NID), titled ‘Strengthening Political Parties’ could be a valuable and practical guide to local politicians how to professionally set up and run a political party and how to win voters during election campaigns.

After many Namibian voters recently followed US president Barack Obama’s successful election campaign, Namibian politicians might have to pull up their socks during the 2009 elections to at least modernise and improve their worn-out campaign techniques. Strategically published at the start of the election year, ‘this book aims to give an introduction to what a party needs to have in place if it is to play a serious, meaningful and potentially successfully role in a democratic society,’ said NID Executive Director Justine Hunter in the foreword.Author and political analyst Graham Hopwood not only provides recipes for keeping a party active, how to successfully network – especially with modern technology such as internet and SMS, so far largely untapped mediums by Namibia’s political parties – but also points how important long-term strategies are.’At their best, political parties are dynamic organisations that function at various levels, including, most crucially, among an active grassroots membership. They have efficient administrative structures and act as platforms for inspired and inspiring political leadership,’ Hopwood writes. According to him, political parties disappoint the electorate if they ignore their support base, fail to organise properly, do not present serious policy ideas or alternatives and if they ‘develop personality cults gathered around one individual’.Party congresses and conventions should be a platform for delegates to articulate and reflect on political ideas and improvements of the party and not decisions coming from the head table, which delegates simply must accept. In the 60-page booklet, Hopwood also gives sound advice how to deal with the media on a professional basis, how to draft press releases and hold proper press conferences. The author also advises how to avoid mistakes and he strongly emphasises that political parties should not regard each other as ‘threats or enemies.’Campaigning and operations of parties should not undercut democracy, and consequently ruling parties should accept that other parties will criticise them, Hopwood writes.He suggests that local parties should follow the example of South Africa’s ruling ANC party, which allows its electoral college for the party list to be observed by the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (Eisa). It would be good if Namibia’s parties had their financial statements done by an independent auditing firm and made them public. This was even more important for those parties represented in Parliament, since they received Government funding.Hopwood also cautions opposition parties to come up with new and different political ideas and programmes and not to constantly criticise the ruling party.Hopwood said most political parties in Namibia only start campaigning a few weeks before a national election – held every five years – and that few activities are held in between. Regular contact and networking with party members and voters between elections should rather be done.’Parties have a responsibility to promote democracy and respect the outcome of elections. It is therefore important that parties educate not only their core support (about democratic behaviour, but also people who might vote for them or not,’ Hopwood advised. ‘Strengthening Political Parties’ is available free at the NID office.