No Democracy Without Parties

By Ahmad Y. Majdoubeh

This commentary was published in The Jordan Times on 08/04/2011

 

Most of us who think and care about the future of the Arab world have come to the conclusion, after witnessing decades of failed experiments with all kinds of ideologies, approaches and hero worship, believe that it will not have a chance without democracy.

The crucial question, however, is how to bring democracy about?

As reflected in events that are daily unfolding in the Arab world, most Arab regimes have done either little or nothing whatsoever to build or foster democracy. Some, in fact, spent decades oppressing and abusing their people, or living lavishly and selfishly. So at the level of Arab regimes, the overall picture is grim in this respect.

As for institutions in the Arab world, the picture is almost equally grim. None of them has made any noticeable inroad into fostering of democracy. The family is largely dictatorial, and so are the school and the university. Parents either dictate to their children or let them have their way - and none of this is democratic. The vast majority of school teachers oppresses pupils with rote learning, and very few university professors engage students, in their largely professor-centred lectures, in any meaningful discussion or dialogue.

There are some attempts by some NGOs, but most NGOs in the Arab world are lost between a West they worship or hate and an Arab society they love or despise.

The Arab press and the media are equally bad, if not worse. Not only are they, in the words of Plato, an “imitation of an imitation” (for example, an imitation of Al Jazeera which is an imitation of CNN), but they are vulgar, sensationalist and assassins of character. Above all, they have no character or belonging, and they contribute little or none to a true democratic culture.

This is what comes to mind when one thinks about the future of the Arab world.

Yes, several regimes in the Arab world are archaic and mediaeval, and they must go - they and their inept media. But what will happen after they go - like in Egypt right now?

There is hope in the new generation, some say. Look at most of those who remained steadfast in the Tahrir Square. They have the commitment, the language, the right perspective - and even the vision, some would insist. But they do not have the venue or the mechanism, I say.

If one is to be optimistic, one could say: well, we start building democracy now, then we start making these venues and mechanisms. Fine. But the matter is not so simple.

First of all, one is afraid of the vacuum created by the regime, both when it is present and after it is gone. Who is to lead the democratic process? Who is to build these venues and mechanisms - and the culture behind them? Most probably the vacuum will be filled either by foxy remnants of the old regime or by ominous, reactionary parties, which are worse than the defunct regimes.

Second, what worries one most is the absence of mainstream parties. Democracy is built on the idea of parties - and I insist here on the word “mainstream” because many of the parties that exist in the Arab world right now are either subversive or corrupt.

There is no democracy without vibrant, strong parties. Democracy is not about electing the person we like or trust. Democracy is about party building. And building parties will take time. A party is not about people getting together, writing down their names on party lists and espousing a few slogans. Nor is it about a gathering in a square or in front of a government building. A party is a culture, the result of thorough upbringing and education. It is about clear, sincere and educated positions on specific issues.

And this takes time. Which is exactly my point here. If we, in the Arab world, want to build viable democracies, we have to prioritise the establishment of parties - real, enlightened parties that belong to both the people and the country. And if we aim to do that, we have to be patient, as a lot of planning, hard work and focus are needed.