Dominant-party system
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A dominant-party system, or one party dominant system, is a party system where only one political party can realistically become the government, by itself or in a coalition government. While opposition parties are legally allowed to operate, they are considered too weak or ineffective to seriously take power. This is in contrast to single-party systems, which tend to be authoritarian, dominant-party systems can occur within a context of a democratic system. Dominant-party systems have been criticized because corruption and insensitivity to public demands tend to arise for lack of an effective opposition.
A further distinction from a single-party system is that under the latter, other parties cannot compete to become the government because they are banned. Dominant-party systems exist only in states where other political parties are tolerated, but do not receive enough votes to have a realistic chance of winning. However, in some dominant-party systems, opposition parties are subject to varying degrees of official harassment and most often deal with rules and electoral systems designed to put them at a disadvantage or in some cases outright electoral fraud.
Examples of dominant-party systems include the National Democratic Party in Egypt, the PRI in Mexico from the 1920s until 2000, the PAP in Singapore, the Democratic Party in the southern United States from about 1880 until the 1960s, and the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan from the 1950s until the present.
Dominant-party systems can occur temporarily. This can often occur when a two-party system is the norm, but one of the two parties sees a massive drop in support, often due to scandal or similar massive upset. An example of this is, arguably, the United Kingdom between 1979 and 1997 (18 years) where the Conservative party won all four elections in that period. Previously, in the post-war period, the government had rotated from Labour Party to Conservative Party five times.
Contemporary Canada would also qualify as a dominant-party system, with the Liberal Party being quite dominant since 1896 ruling almost three quarters of the time in that period, and continuously since 1993. In the party's history, Edward Blake is the only leader of the Liberal Party ever to not have been Prime Minister of Canada at some time. For some of the period, including today, the Liberals have ruled in a minority government.
Though the United States as a whole is characterized by a competitive two-party system, some individual states may qualify as a dominant-party system.
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Current dominant-party systems
The following countries are claimed by many to be dominant-party systems:
Africa
- Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola - Workers' Party
- Movimento Popular da Libertação de Angola - Partido do Trabalho (MPLA-PT)
- Led by President José Eduardo dos Santos, in office since 10 September 1979
- In power since independence, 11 November 1975
- Sole legal party, 1977-1991
- Presidential election, 1992: José Eduardo dos Santos (MPLA-PT) 49.6%
- Parliamentary election, 1992: MPLA 53.7% and 129 of 220 seats
- Botswana Democratic Party (BDP)
- Led by President Festus Gontebanye Mogae, in office since 1 April 1998
- In power since independence, 30 September 1966
- Parliamentary election, 2004: BDP 51.7% and 44 of 57 seats
- Congress for Democracy and Progress
- Congrès pour la Démocratie et le Progrès (CDP)
- Led by President Blaise Compaoré, in office since 15 October 1987
- In power, under various names, since 24 December 1991
- Presidential election, 1998: Blaise Compaoré (CDP) 87.5%
- Parliamentary election, 2002: CDP 49.5% and 47 of 91 seats
- Cameroonian People's Democratic Movement
- Rassemblement démocratique du Peuple camerounais (RDPC)
- Led by President Paul Biya, in office since 6 November 1982
- In power, under various names, since independence, 1 January 1960
- Sole legal party, 1966-1990
- Presidential election, 2004: Paul Biya (RDPC) 75.2%
- Parliamentary election, 2002: RDPC 133 of 180 seats
- Patriotic Salvation Movement
- Mouvement patriotique du Salut (MPS)
- Led by President Idriss Déby, in office since 2 December 1990
- In power since 2 December 1990
- Presidential election, 2001: Idriss Déby (MPS) 67.3%
- Parliamentary election, 2002: MPS 110 of 155 seats
- Congolese Labour Party
- Parti congolais du Travail (PCT)
- Led by President Denis Sassou-Nguesso, in office from 8 February 1979 to 31 August 1992 and since 15 October 1997
- In power from 1 January 1969 to 31 August 1992 and since 15 October 1997
- Sole legal party, 1970-1990
- Presidential election, 2002: Denis Sassou-Nguesso (PCT) 89.4%
- Parliamentary election, 2002: PCT 52 of 137 seats
- Popular Rally for Progress
- Rassemblement populaire pour le Progrès (RPP)
- Led by President Ismail Omar Guelleh, in office since 8 May 1999
- In power since its formation in 1979
- Sole legal party, 1979-1992
- Presidential election, 2005: Ismail Omar Guelleh (RPP) re-elected unopposed
- Parliamentary election, 2003: RPP in coalition, 62.7% and 65 of 65 seats
- National Democratic Party (NDP)
- Hizbi ad-Dimuqratiya al-Wataniya
- Led by President Hosni Mubarak, in office since 14 October 1981
- In power since its formation in 1978
- Presidential referendum, 1999: Hosni Mubarak (NDP) 93.8%
- Parliamentary election, 2000: NDP 388 of 444 seats
- Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
- Partido Democrático de Guinea Ecuatorial (PDGE)
- Led by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, in office since 3 August 1979
- In power since its formation in 1987
- Sole legal party, 1987-1991
- Presidential election, 2002: Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (PDGE) 97.1%
- Parliamentary election, 2004: PDGE 47.5% and 68 of 100 seats (91.9% and 98 of 100 seats including allies)
- Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
- Led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, in office since 28 May 1991 (as prime minister since 22 August 1995)
- In power since 28 May 1991
- Parliamentary election, 2000: EPRDF 481 of 527 seats
- Gabonese Democratic Party
- Parti démocratique gabonais (PDG)
- Led by President Omar Bongo, in office since 28 November 1967
- In power, under various names, since independence, 17 August 1960
- Sole legal party, 1968-1991
- Presidential election, 1998: Omar Bongo (PDG) 66.9%
- Parliamentary election, 2001: PDG 88 of 120 seats
- Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC)
- Led by President Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh, in office since 22 July 1994
- In power since its formation in 1996
- Presidential election, 2001: Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh (APRC) 52.8%
- Parliamentary election, 2002: APRC 45 of 53 seats
- Party of Unity and Progress
- Parti de l'Unité et du Progrès (PUP)
- Led by President Lansana Conté, in office since 3 April 1984
- In power since its formation in 1991
- Presidential election, 2003: Lansana Conté (PUP) 95.6%
- Parliamentary election, 2002: PUP 61.6% and 47 of 76 seats
- Democratic and Social Republican Party
- Parti républicain démocratique et social (PRDS)
- Led by President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya, in office since 12 December 1984
- In power since its formation in 1992
- Presidential election, 2003: Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya (PRDS) 66.7%
- Parliamentary election, 2001: PRDS 51.0% and 64 of 81 seats
- Mozambican Liberation Front
- Frente da Libertação de Moçambique (FRELIMO)
- Led by President Armando Guebuza, in office since 2 February 2005
- In power since independence, 25 June 1975
- Sole legal party, 1975-1990
- Presidential election, 2004: Armando Guebuza (FRELIMO) 63.7%
- Parliamentary election, 2004: FRELIMO 62.0% and 160 of 250 seats
- South-West African People's Organisation (SWAPO)
- Led by President Hifikepunye Pohamba, in office since 21 March 2005
- In power since independence, 21 March 1990
- Presidential election, 2004: Hifikepunye Pohamba (SWAPO) 76.4%
- Parliamentary election, 2004: SWAPO 55 of 72 seats
- People's Democratic Party (PDP)
- Led by President Olusegun Obasanjo, in office as civilian since 29 May 1999 (non-partisan military dictator from 14 February 1976 to 1 October 1979)
- In power since 29 May 1999
- Presidential election, 2003: Olusegun Obasanjo (PDP) 61.8%
- Parliamentary election, 2003: PDP 54.8% and 198 of 318 seats
- Rwandese Patriotic Front
- Front patriotique rwandais (FPR)
- Led by President Paul Kagame, in office since 24 March 2000
- In power since 19 July 1994
- Presidential election, 2003: Paul Kagame (FPR) 95.0%
- Parliamentary election, 2003: FPR 73.8% and 40 of 53 seats
- Seychelles People's Progressive Front (SPPF)
- Led by President James Alix Michel, in office since 14 April 2004
- In power since 5 June 1977
- Sole legal party, 1979-1993
- Presidential election, 2001: France-Albert René (SPPF) 54.2% (René retired, 14 April 2004)
- Parliamentary election, 2002: SPPF 54.3% and 23 of 34 seats
- African National Congress (ANC)
- Led by President Thabo Mbeki, in office since 16 June 1999
- In power since 10 May 1994
- Parliamentary election, 2004: ANC 69.7% and 279 of 400 seats
- National Congress Party (NCP)
- Led by President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir, in office since 30 June 1989
- In power since its formation, 16 October 1993
- Presidential election, 2000: Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir (NCP) 86.5%
- Parliamentary election, 2000: NCP 355 of 360 seats
- Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM)
- Led by President Benjamin William Mkapa, in office since 23 November 1995
- In power, under various names, since independence, 9 December 1961
- Sole legal party, 1975-1992 (unofficially from independence in 1961)
- Presidential election, 2000: Benjamin William Mkapa (CCM) 71.7%
- Parliamentary election, 2000: CCM 244 of 269 seats
- Rally of the Togolese People
- Rassemblement du Peuple togolais (RPT)
- Led by President Faure Gnassingbé, in office since 5 February 2005
- In power since its formation in 1980
- Sole legal party, 1979-1991
- Presidential election, 2005: Faure Gnassingbé (RPT) 60.2%
- Parliamentary election, 2002: RPT 72 of 81 seats
- Democratic Constitutional Rally
- Rassemblement constitutionnel démocratique (RCD)
- Led by President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, in office since 7 November 1987
- In power since 25 July 1957
- Sole legal party, 1957-1988
- Presidential election, 2004: Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (RCD) 94.5%
- Parliamentary election, 2004: RCD 87.6% and 152 of 189 seats
- Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD)
- Led by President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, in office since 2 January 2002
- In power since 2 November 1991
- Presidential election, 2001: Levy Patrick Mwanawasa (MMD) 29.1%
- Parliamentary election, 2001: MMD 27.5% and 69 of 150 seats
- Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF)
- Led by President Robert Gabriel Mugabe, in office since 18 April 1980 (as president since 31 December 1987)
- In power since independence, 17 April 1980
- Presidential election, 2002: Robert Gabriel Mugabe (ZANU-PF) 56.2%
- Parliamentary election, 2005: ZANU-PF 59.6% and 78 of 120 elective seats (30 additional seats reserved for appointees)
Americas
- Liberal Party of Canada (LPC)
- Parti libéral du Canada (PLC)
- Led by Prime Minister Paul Martin, in office since December 12, 2003
- In power 1873-1878, 1896-1911, 1921-1926, 1926-1930, 1935-1957, 1963-1979, 1980-1984, 1993-present (in government for 72% of the time during the modern era, i.e. the period since 1896)
- In the 2004 federal election, the Liberals received 36.7% of the popular vote and won 135 of the 308 seats in the House of Commons and formed a minority government.
- Nationalist Republican Alliance
- Alianza Republicana Nacionalista (ARENA)
- Led by President Antonio Saca, in office since 1 June 2004
- In power since 1 June 1989
- Presidential election, 2004: Antonio Saca (ARENA) 57.7%
- Parliamentary election, 2003: ARENA 32.0% and 27 of 84 seats (FMLN 33.8% and 31 of 84 seats)
- Republican National Association - Colorado Party
- Asociación Nacional Republicana - Partido Colorado (ANR-PC)
- Led by President Nicanor Duarte, in office since 15 August 2003
- In power 1880-1904 and since 15 August 1948
- Presidential election, 2003: Nicanor Duarte (ANR-PC) 38.3%
- Parliamentary election, 2003: ANR-PC 35.3% and 37 of 80 seats
Asia
- Cambodia (KPK)
- East Timor
- Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor or FRETILIN
- Led by Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, in office since May 20 2002
- In power since 2002
- Parliamentary election, 2001: FRETILIN 57.37% and 55 out of 88 seats
- Japan (LDP)
- Kazakhstan (OTAN)
- Malaysia
- United Malays National Organization (UMNO)
- In power since 1959 (as part of a coalition called the Barisan Nasional, or National Front)
- Led by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in office since October 31, 2003
- Parliamentary election, 2004: UMNO 35.9% and 109 of 219 seats, total for Barisan Nasional 63.9% and 198 out of 219 seats
- Palestinian Authority (PLO)
- Samoa (HRPP)
- Singapore
- People's Action Party (PAP)
- In power since May 30, 1959
- Led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in office since August 12, 2004
- President Sellapan Rama Nathan was elected unopposed in the 1999 presidential election
- The PAP received 75.3% of the vote and won 82 out of 84 seats in the 2001 parliamentary election
- Syria (Ba'ath)
- Tajikistan (PDPT)
- Uzbekistan (FID)
- Yemen (GPC)
Europe
- Andorra (PLA)
- Armenia (RPA)
- Azerbaijan (YAP)
- Republic of Georgia (NM-D)
- Sweden (SAP)