The Role of Party Leadership Selection in Intraparty Democracy: a study of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) and the Social Democratic Front (SDF) in Cameroon

Abstract

How do candidate selection processes affect intra-party democracy? Does intra-party democracy promote party unity, trust and attractiveness? Since the return of multi-party politics in Cameroon, many political parties have experienced diminishing trust in their national and local committees leading to a decline in party membership as well as reduced electoral turnout and overall political participation. Some studies such as that by Sandri and Amjahad1, attribute this decline in trust and party membership to undemocratic candidate selection processes among others and generally the near absence of intra- party democracy (IPD). Other studies as that by Lisi2 have argued that the mode of leadership selection affects the quality of intra-party democracy. In spite of the increased use of IPD to address the crisis of trust and participation in countries such as Belgium, and among others, IPD is still considered by many commentators as a challenge for major parties in Cameroon such as the CPDM and SDF. The leadership selection processes considered particularly important for IPD in the literature has also received little scholarly attention in Cameroon. Using a qualitative research approach, this paper thus examines whether democratising leadership selection in the SDF and CPDM can foster or undermine IPD. Data was collected using in-depth interviews with key informants in 2022 when both parties completed major leadership selection processes. It shows that failure to effectively democratise leadership selection has undermined IPD. It demonstrates that this effect on IPD has weakened party unity, eroded inclusiveness and decentralisation.