ABSTRACT
Parties are usually conceived as organizational vehicles that political interest groups
use to assume power. According to Sartori a party is ‘‘any political group that
presents at elections, and is capable of placing through elections, candidates for public
office’’.1 This definition indicates that political parties are institutions primarily
established to assume power. Conceptualizing political parties in developing countries
like Ethiopia from this vantage point is, however, problematic. In the Ethiopian
context, the party landscape is complicated. There are first the registered parties that
operate within the country, the majority of whom until 2000 chose not to participate
in the electoral process. In addition to the nationally registered parties, there are exiled
or ‘‘illegal’’ organizations that oppose the government from outside of the country,
but try to gain influence in the country. Some of these organizations advocate the use
of force. Political parties play crucial roles in democratic systems. They are particularly
important for the holding of regular competitive elections. Moreover, it is through
the party machinery that individuals are nominated for public offices. The other
equally important function of political parties is their role in aggregating public
demands. Parties also serve as instruments that integrate individuals into the political
process. They also form and sustain governments.2
