Party Systems in Post-Soviet States: The Shaping of Political Competition

Abstract

Theories of democratic transition now seem to be outdated as most post-communist regimes have passed their points of bifurcation and can be considered either consolidated democracies or autocracies. However, some kind of transition is still going on in the ever-changing post-Soviet party systems. In most authoritarian states, ruling elites have created party systems with dominant parties, while in others authoritarian leaders formally control multi-party systems, or do without significant parties at all. The level of electoral competition in most post-Soviet states is falling. One way or another, parties as political institutions remain weak almost everywhere. Usually they are created by groups of ruling elites and/or business groups to serve as a tool of both electoral mobilization and elite structuring and consolidation. Dominant parties are dependent on state leaders and cannot be called truly ruling parties. It is high levels of elite competition that overshadows public participation and ideological or societal cleavages, but sometimes makes a political regime resemble a democracy. Post-Soviet party systems have not been fully formed yet; they have a long and winding road to go, led by factions struggling for resources.

Key Words:

• Parties
• party systems
• dominant parties
• political competition
• delegative democracy
• presidentialism
• electoral authoritarianism

Notes

Shevardnadze in Georgia and Kuchma in Ukraine won their second terms with almost the same support as they got for the first time.

However, it would be incorrect to think that new political generations usually prefer democratic ways. Reality proves that they impose order and control to hold their grip on power. Rather the process of elite change itself makes elites more diverse and thus enables their competition.