Unrepresentative Parties in An Unwelcoming Society: Examining Public Perceptions about Afghan Political Parties

Abstract

Since 2001 Afghanistan has gone through many changes on a wide range of issues including repeated registration and de-registration of over 100 political parties. While historically the political Parties began with distinct political ideologies and agenda for development of Afghanistan, some gradually and some rapidly turned into radical, ethnic, militaristic, and clientelist political organizations. These have led to a bad reputation of political parties based on the worst memories of them in the public. While Afghan parties have failed to establish themselves as the forces for good, the consolidation of democracy in Afghanistan does require a developed party system. Holding democratic elections, in particular, requires an effective party system that would help coordinate like-minded elites and masses across ethnic, linguistic and religious lines. By surveying over 2952 people from across the country, this study evaluates public perception about political parties, in their current and ideal forms. We especially examine if parties are less popular because of their ethnic politics.