ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the nature of party competition in the region and its relationship with the quality of democracy that is being practiced. It suggests that political parties play a critical role in the consolidation of democracy, so a lot can be learned by assessing their role in Africa today. The chapter explains a description of Africa's range of regimes today. It examines the dominant form of political regime in the region, electoral autocracy. The chapter uses the expression 'electoral authoritarianism' because it best conveys the sense that these regimes remain authoritarian in nature despite the convening of regular multi-party elections. It concentrates on the key role of political parties in shaping national political dynamics. The chapter also focuses on the weakness of political parties and the deficiencies of democracy in sub-Saharan Africa. It shows that most opposition parties remain too weak to promote the greater accountability of governments.
