It's good to be the king

This research paper examines the systemic advantages held by ruling parties in African electoral democracies, noting that incumbents often maintain power through state resource control, weak opposition structures, and the legacy of liberation movements.

• Ruling parties in Africa maintain significant advantages over opposition movements, often utilizing state resources to preserve power. This includes the ability to dominate state media, influence electoral commissions, and utilize national security forces for party interests.
• African electoral democracies are frequently characterized by high concentrations of power, featuring strong executive presidents and a lack of effective checks and balances. In extreme cases, such as with Zanu-PF in Zimbabwe since 2000, regimes have used violent intimidation, arrests, and ballot stuffing to maintain control.
• Opposition parties in Africa are often disadvantaged by internal fractures, a lack of resources, and a tendency to be built around the ambitions of individuals rather than coherent policies. In Zambia's 2001 election, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) won with only 29% of the vote because opposition coalitions failed to agree on a leader.
• Incumbents are not invincible, as demonstrated by the December 2002 elections in Kenya, where the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) ousted the Kenya African National Union (KANU), which had been in power since 1963. NARC's success is attributed to its anti-corruption platform and mobilization beyond traditional media.
• The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in Zimbabwe is cited as a rare example of a successful, permanent opposition fixture because it is a united front of civil society groups and trade unions with a national party network.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2008). It's good to be the king. https://saiia.org.za/research/its-good-to-be-the-king/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. It's good to be the king. 2008. https://saiia.org.za/research/its-good-to-be-the-king/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=It's good to be the king |date=28 April 2008 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/its-good-to-be-the-king/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2008its, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{It's good to be the king}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2008}, month = apr, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/its-good-to-be-the-king/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }