FINAL DRAFT: POLITICAL SCIENCE

Dr. RAM MANOHAR LOHIA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

2017-18

SUBJECT : POLITICAL SCIENCE

FINAL DRAFT ON TOPIC : INNER PARTY DEMOCRACY

Under the guidance of: Submitted By:

Ms. Monika Srivastava Vimal Babu

Dept of Political Science Roll No. 160

Sec B, Sem I

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The successful completion of this project is the result of constant and rigorous hard work of
weeks.

First and foremost, I express my deep gratitude to my teacher, Ms. Monika Srivastava who
was always there to guide me with the project outlines and whose effective sense of
understanding of the subject and imparting the same to me goes a long way down to the
eventual compilation of the project.

I am thankful to the Honourable Vice Chancellor, Prof. Gurdeep Singh and the Dean
(Academics), Prof (Dr.) C.M. Jariwala, who provided me all possible resources for the
successful completion of this project. Without their guidelines, the project would not have
worked successfully and effectively.

I would also like to thank other college staff, notably the print out department.At last but not
the least, I am thankful to my parents and friends who encouraged and motivated me to make
the best possible efforts for the completion of this project.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT………………………………………………… 2
 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………… 4
 NEED FOR INNER PARTY DEMOCRACY……………………………. 5
 MAJOR ELEMENTS OF INNER PARTY DEMOCRACY……………... 7
 DEMOCRACTIC VS UNDEMOCRATIC FUNCTIONING…………….. 10
 INNER PARTY DEMOCRACY IN INDIA……………………………… 11
 CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………. 12
 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………. 13

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INTRODUCTION

‘Inner Party Democracy’ connotes the democratic functioning of parties.

True democracies demand that people be involved in decision making at all levels of decision
making of which they are stake holders; this demand calls for ‘Inner party Democracy’.
Political party functioning in our society is based on an autocratic system where the senior,
more influential leaders of a party dictate its terms and are the authorities on decision
making; it has seen to result in a corrupted governmental function that eliminates vital issues
such as accountability, safeguard and prime importance of civil rights and legitimate criticism
of the actions of the government. ‘Inner Party Democracy’ seeks to resolve this.

No concrete definition of this term is possible. A wide and proper definition is that ‘all
stakeholders have a say in party functioning and that the party functions as per true
democratic principles of state practice’. ‘Inner Party Democracy’ is a very flexible term and
its scope and method of appropriation depends on the prevailing system. This paper will seek
to provide and enshrine the basic principles of the term and will try to expose the nuances of
the existing system; it will seek to explore the merits and demerits of the ‘Inner Party
Democracy’ and critique upon how it shall benefit our society.

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NEED FOR INNER PARTY DEMOCRACY

True democracy can function only if such democracy exists in all levels of the system. The
need for ‘Inner Party Democracy’ arises from this idea that the major features of a democracy
such as transparency, accountability, inclusion, strengthening of the civil society etc. are
maintained.

As a common man, the scholar would like to see the system that he is governed by to
function properly. ‘Inner Party Democracy’ ensures that such features are preserved. Three
major reasons however shall be given in support of the scholar’s argument that ‘Inner Party
Democracy’ is of supreme importance in the civil society.

A. MULTIPARTY SYSTEMS

Multiparty competitive systems deem that parties are a key to and a major factor of political
power. All political parties, in attainment as well as exercise of power, must be adequately
democratic; Only then can the political process of making and running a government be truly
democratic.

B. POLITICAL PARTIES REPRESENT THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF THE

POLITICAL WILL OF THE PEOPLE

For the above stated reason, the process of will formation and mobilisation of action for the
good of the people must follow the fundamentals of democratic functioning; In the absence of
this, the political culture of militancy and authoritarianism set in which are undesirable for
obvious reasons.

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C. THE CONCEPT OF MERITOCRACY

It is an established fact that democracy does not function automatically; while this principle is
clearly laid down in the Constitution, it does finally come down to the competence of the
citizens and thus the parties’ key factor of functioning. Charisma, vision, skill and
commitment of the leaders is what the leadership should demand. This can happen only
through democratic functioning.

D. SETTING THE NORMS OF SOCIAL CONDUCT

Political parties are the only links that connect the people to the government. The represent
therefore, the true functioning; Their , mode /method of functioning will in turn also affect
the functioning of other manifestations of peoples’ political will.

In the functioning of parties, the factor of inclusion has largely been left out of many debates.
This scholar considers it immensely important.

The bases of inclusion are: ethnicity, gender, religion, social backwardness, etc. As far as a
democratically functioning society is concerned, the factor assumes special importance as
democracy will open opportunities and incentives for the party members to raise and discuss
many social issues; consequently, such issues will assume greater importance in preparation
of political action. Since it is necessary that such issues play a pivotal role in the
government, ‘Inner Party Democracy’ comes as an automatic and essential corollary.

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MAJOR ELEMENTS OF INNER PARTY DEMOCRACY

This section is included by the scholar to prove that if ‘Inner Party Democracy’ is of supreme
importance, then its method, content and process are of prime concern as well.

The principle measures to be discussed under this head are as follows:

A. PARTY COMMITTEE AND THE SELECTION OF A LEADER

All levels of committee constitution and executive positions must necessarily be formed
through the process of elections. There must be provisions of accountability where in
decisions of the leader may be questioned or discussed; their actions must be liable to
legitimate criticism and judgement.

Periodic meetings and recalls are effective instruments of this. This makes the marty
functioning more professional in its outlook.

B. IDEOLOGY AND POLICY FORMATION

Thoroughly informed and qualitative participation of the maximum members must help form
ideology and policy of the party.

If party policy does not represent the thinking of the majority of its individuals , its policies
will, in the long run be rendered ineffective. Here the scholar would like to point out the
nuances and the relevance of the concept of ‘majority’.

The term ‘majority’ is defined by the Webster’s Dictionary as “proposing a number greater
than 50%.” The significance of the term however, is twofold. Firstly, the fact that more than
50

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5 of the people agree on a certain issue as opposed to a minority is the fairest way to go
against the minority will. Secondly, and far more importantly, a majority represents a
physically stronger team. The fact that they are greater in number overrules the will of the
minority; their will in such cases is insignificant and they basically do not have a choice.

For the purpose of policy formation in a party, ‘Open Discussion’ and ‘Deliberation’ are two
things that must be kept in mind.

C. IDENTIFICATION OF CANDIDATES

Selection of party candidates has been seen to be more a factor of authoritative members or
the party high command or central committee. Such functioning is prima facie
‘undemocratic functioning’ and demands criticism.

Two major instruments to solve this are ‘primary elections’ and a ‘democratically formed
party committees’.

The United States of America is the best example of primary elections and deserves applaud.
The scholar would like to fleetingly mention the system followed in China at a later stage of
this submission.

D. TRANSPARENCY IN DECISION MAKING

The entire party’s decisions and decision making process must be made known, not only to
the members, but to all the people; this is because transparency in decision making processes
is the major tool for judging the mertis and demerits of party functioning.

This seeks to serve two major purposes. Firstly, it gives members a platform to study the
party leadership. Secondly, it provides a platform to potential leaders for the same; and lastly
it makes a party ‘public’ in the true sense.

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E. SCIENTIFIC MINDEDNESS OF THE MEMBERS

Democratisation of a party also demands a specific state of mind from the party members.
Such a state of mind has to be developed.

1. Inquisitiveness of members
2. Open-mindedness
3. Critical Mind

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DEMOCRATIC v. UNDEMOCRATIC FUNCTIONING

1. It is the opinion of the scholar that the demands from a leader in a democracy follow a
different. Such leadership demands a democratic thought, behaviour and work style.
The fundamental differences that lead to this are as follows:

2. Explanation and wider discussion are made use of by a democratic leader to make and
establish decisions vis-à-vis ‘command’ and ‘force’ used by an ‘undemocratic’ one.
Greater participation is encouraged and opinions and suggestions are seriously
considered. While a democratic leader generates or synthesises opinion, an
undemocratic leader imposes them upon citizens.

3. Reciprocal and egalitarian relationships are developed between members of the party
under a democratic leader. The autocratic leader however, maintains one-sided
relations based on inequality. While the former regards other members as co-workers,
the later treats them as subordinates.

4. Planning and action are made public without hiding anything by a democratic leader;
in contradiction to which, an undemocratic leader uses secret, clandestine and
conspiracy.

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INNER PARTY DEMOCRACY IN INDIA

It is welcome that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon the media to focus
attention on inner party democracy. There can be no doubt that parties, which function as the
elementary units in a competitive democracy, must themselves be democratic in how they
function, from choosing their leaders to formulating strategy, in order for democracy to be
substantive. In India, few parties have true intra-party democracy. Regional parties that are
built around a towering leader do not even have any pretence of democratic decison making:
their leader’s whim or fancy is the party’s policy. If that leader passes away, an unseemly
scramble for power ensues as the party implodes, particularly if there are no charismatic
successors from the leader’s immediate family.

Even in the case of ‘ideological’ parties, things are scarcely different. Nitish Kumar did not
hold any inner-party discussion while deciding to change his party’s alliance partner in Bihar
— even his party president was not in the loop. The Communists call their idea of inner party
functioning ‘democratic centralism,’ but the stress is clearly on centralism. The Congress
does hold inner party elections periodically, but from the time of Mahatma Gandhi, in the
face of whose displeasure elected president Subhas Chandra Bose resigned, the authority of a
leader who somehow embodies the party’s collective conscience and moral force has been
more important than the mechanics of elections. That Rahul Gandhi will succeed his mother
as the next party president is a foregone conclusion. The party high command’s discernment
in balancing different power blocs has mattered more for inner party peace than formal
methods of democratic choice.

The country’s biggest party today, the BJP, makes no bones about locating its conscience and
moral authority in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which has appointed, or intervened to
resolve differences over choosing, the party’s presidents and prime ministerial candidates.
The PM is, indeed, right to focus on the need for inner-party democracy in India.

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CONCLUSION

1. It is submitted by the scholar that ‘Inner Party Democracy’ must be treated as the
quintessential of the growth, evolution and perfection of democracies in their entirety.

2. Our country sees an absence of such functioning at the party level. The major parties
of the country follow an undemocratic system of authoritarianism and command.
While the BJP and the Congress leaders have at times displayed certain traits to
implement the same, the absence of a set of norms governing such functioning shows
large gaps in the current system of our democracy.

3. Rahul Gandhi has on several occasions hinted a shift in Congress functioning towards
such a system; concrete steps however, are yet to be seen. The congress party
founded in 1985 on the lines of trust in the authoritarian members of the party,
provided they delivered results has undergone changes with the coming of various
party leaders. The party’s functioning though is largely undemocratic.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Naom Chomsky, Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on
Democracy, 1st ed. (2006), Metropolitan Books, New York

2. Naom Chomsky, Deterring Democracy, 1st ed. (1991), Verso Publications,

London

3. Anthony Giddens, The Third Way: The renewal Of Social Democracy, 1st ed.
(1998), Polity Press, London

4. https://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.com/et-editorials/missing-inner-party-
democracy-in-india

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