organizational structure and embraces a whole approach to the management
of society and economy as well as political education, indoctrination and
control. Developing an ideology and communicating it is crucial to creating
a sense of legitimacy.
Organizational survival also depends on making the party leadership
representative of a broad range of interests (Randall, 1988). For example, the
United National Independence Party in Zambia was successful in making the
leadership representative of a wide range of social élites. There also has to be
a balanced membership. Activists who sustain the organization through
membership drives, fund raising, candidate selection, voter mobilization and
party debate have to be balanced with professional experts in different policy
fields. There must also be a balance between nominal members and party
activists, and between collegial leadership and a willingness to remove lead-
ers who are out of touch with members and the electorate. A balance has also
to be struck between the principle of open membership to whoever supports
the party’s ideals and objectives, and a rule of restricted access, either to
avoid capture by interests that would narrow the party’s electoral appeal, or
to ensure effective action in government or opposition (Graham, 1993).
Leaders that identify themselves with the party rather than using it a
means to office elsewhere such as in the government bureaucracy are also
required (Huntington, 1968, pp. 408–12). Huntington is here referring to the
loss to political parties when scarce talent is drawn off into other loyalties.
He is not denying that parties should seek office for their leaders when they
compete for positions in legislatures, executives and other parts of the state
whose personnel are recruited by electoral competition.
The strength of party organization is also dependent upon consistency – in
ideological position, discipline (among members and elected representatives),
patterns of internal organization, rules of leadership succession, and methods
of mass mobilization. Autonomy from ‘founding personalities’ is also needed,
as well as significant financial and human resources, including professional
staff (Mainwaring, 1998; Stockton, 2001, pp. 96–7). Funding and institutional
autonomy, including freeing the party from domination from the civil bureau-
cracy or military, are important organizational features of successful Third
World parties (Randall, 1988). It has to be noted that India’s Congress Party,
with considerable bureaucratic infiltration, seems to be the exception to this.
Factionalism and clientelism
The strength of party organization in the Third World has frequently been
dependent upon the distribution of patronage and the allocation of state
152 Understanding Third World Politics