Reflections from the IAF Seminar on Civil Society and Politics

(November 8 – 20, 2009)
by Paola Margarita Deles

Paola Margarita Deles

Two developments related to the coming 2010 elections were playing in my mind as I traveled from Manila to Gummersbach to attend the IAF seminar on “Civil Society and Politics: The Role of NGOs and Political Parties.” The first and more recent development was the announcement of Sen. Chiz Escudero that he was leaving the Nationalist People’s Coalition, his political party for the last 11 years. In his speech, he claimed that any person aspiring for the presidency should not belong to any group because his party should be “all Filipino people.” That a young and popular politician like Sen. Escudero is comfortable and even proud to talk about political parties negatively (whatever his real reasons may be) is one of the clear signs of weakness in our party system. Coming from the NGO sector, I was keen to know more about this “Other” – What role should political parties be playing in Philippine politics? Can strengthening our party system impact on democratic politics and good governance? What reforms are needed to enable political parties to operate more effectively and become more relevant in the political life and democracy of our nation?

The other and less recent but (for me) more significant development pertains to the decision of Sen. Noynoy Aquino and his team to make his presidential campaign a “people’s campaign.” His decision to run, after all, was in response to the call made to him by ordinary citizens. The implication of a people’s campaign is that it has two tracks: a “conventional” track led by his party, the Liberal Party of the Philippines, and a “non-conventional” track led by volunteer citizen groups and supported by various NGOs. The two tracks are meant to be closely coordinated but operating separately.

For me, the people’s campaign of Sen. Aquino carries the potential, promise and challenges of greater cooperation between the Liberal Party and NGOs, particularly if Sen. Aquino’s presidential run is successful. This brought to my mind the following questions: When working together, what roles should each play? How do we ensure that the work of parties and NGOs complement each other? How de we avoid duplication, conflict or tension between the two groups?

During the two week IAF seminar in Germany, I had the valuable opportunity to listen and absorb inputs from our seminar facilitators and resource persons and, more importantly, to begin exploring answers to my questions together with like-minded peers from other developing countries.

A political party, according to one of the definitions given to us in the seminar, is “a group of like-minded citizens looking to realize their shared political ideas.” Functioning parties can play an important role in the political life of a nation as mediator between citizens and government institutions, as aggregator of interests of various groups, and in giving political direction.

“What would democracy look like if there was no political parties?” one of our readings asked. Without parties, “voters would be hard put to work out what individual candidates stood for or intended to do once elected. Without parties, politics might degenerate into a fight between tiny factions, each promoting its narrow self-interest.”

A talk by one of the resource persons, Prof. Werner Patzelt, clued me into why the party system in the Philippines is weak. He asserted that there are two major conditions for a strong party system: the first is a parliamentary form of government and the second is proportional representation. Neither of these is present in our country, where we have a presidential form of government and a first-past-the-post electoral system. Other factors that contribute to and at the same time are aggravated by our weak party system include: the emphasis on personalities over platforms, the reliance of many parties on funding from donors with self and business interests, and the lack of opportunity and appreciation for political engagement among the electorate. A major paradigm shift and serious reforms are thus required if we want a working, dynamic party system that can enhance governance and raise our fragile democracy to a higher level.

The IAF seminar highlighted the similarities and differences between political parties and NGOs, which serves as bases for cooperation and complementation between these two groups. Unlike NGOs, which at most can only influence governance, political parties aim for constitutional mandate and direct access to power over government decision-making processes. While political parties need to look at comprehensive programs and platforms, many NGOs focus on particular advocacies and have expertise in specific issues. NGOs, therefore, can work with political parties to impact on policies related to their advocacies, while political parties can work with NGOs to sharpen and enrich particular areas of their political platforms and programs. In addition, like-minded NGOs and political parties can tap into each other’s networks and constituencies to expand their outreach and support base toward shared goals and interests.

Based on various country experiences, collaboration between parties and NGOs can be very productive, but must be done with care. While political parties and NGOs may share some common objectives and values, there must always be recognition and appreciation for the fact that the two are distinct species created for different reasons. When working together, there should be mutual respect and space for these differences.

Now back in Manila, equipped with new information and the beginnings of ideas for further study and action, I feel fortunate to be working for an NGO that seeks to connect the dots between Democratic Politics, Good Governance and Development Outcomes. With my organization, I hope to continue the learning process that had begun for me at the IAF seminar. I look forward to helping convene a study group that can look at existing and new proposals for practical reforms to strengthen the country’s political party system. And after the new president is elected in May 2010 (with fingers crossed that it is my preferred candidate!), I am hoping there will be an opportunity to document the experience of the Liberal Party and NGOs in working together on a presidential campaign, to reflect and assess this experience, and to plot out steps to enhance and sustain healthy engagement during and beyond the new president’s term.