Coalition Building

Aug 02, 2010 Editorial

With general elections only a year away, it is quite a positive development in our political culture that coalition building is quite in the (political) air. Coalitions, of course, are one of the oldest political devices used by groups to punch above their weight by facilitating members to pool their resources – providing, of course, the groups share similar values, interests and goals.
Coalition building is a fundamental skill that is necessary for success in securing and maintaining power – and not only in politics.
Especially for groups that for one reason or another may be outsiders to the political system, coalition building presents an opportunity for them to leverage their voices and better defend their interests. In a society such as ours that abounds in plurality – ethnic, religious, racial, gender, national etc. – one would think that coalitions would be the order of the day.
Because of the British distance for the device however – they looked down at it as a Continental aberration – we have recognised its utility rather late in the day. But, as the saying goes, better late than never.
Successful coalition building is a process that begins with recognising that there are areas of compatible interests in the several groups around the table. While this sometimes occurs naturally, most times there is the need for one or more groups to take the lead in persuading others that a coalition would be to their benefit.
The interests would have to be stated up front: in our present milieu, for instance, some parties may be more interested in becoming the major political opposition rather than removing the government.
In addition to having a commonality of interests, the groups would have to be convinced that by working together, they can achieve the goal of achieving office more expeditiously. But more pertinently, that the benefits of coalescing would outweigh the costs. This latter contingency has been the sticking point in the ongoing talks in the opposition ranks.
There is a strong feeling from some quarters that the “baggage” of the PNC from their years in government is too great a burden to be shared. In such cases, incentives might have to be offered. There have been suggestions from within and without the political opposition that the PNC forego the leadership of any ensuing coalition to address such concerns.
But against the background of our political history, it is not unreasonable that the PNC may suspect that under the cover of the stated concerns, efforts are afoot to miniaturise, if not supplant, its role. If the announced groups favourable to a coalition can develop a momentum in gathering partners – especially from outside the political mainstream, it may force fence sitters to jump aboard rather than risk being left out completely.
A coalition has a host of benefits in presenting an alternative in politics: the breadth offered by the several partners garners wider support; greater expertise and resources are brought to bear on complex issues; new leaders can be identified and encouraged and a lasting base for change can be forged.
In the latter instance, once the groups work together it becomes more difficult for others to dismiss members’ efforts as “special interests”. Most significantly for our local political culture, however, in the consensus-building efforts that are a permanent characteristic of successful coalitions, respect for each other differences has to be forged as a prerequisite.
One problem with the ongoing efforts that is sure to crop up is the effects of the disequilibrium of size. No matter how one slices it, the PNC will be the major partner in any block to be formed. It is not necessarily a measure of their sincerity to coalition building if they balk at the idealistic position of one group- one vote that some may favour.
The coalition will have to most meticulously define the relationships between powerful and less-powerful groups. Ensuring that each group – especially the smaller ones – receives credit for its contribution goes a long way in allaying fears of “being used”.

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Coalition Building

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Coalition Building

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