Vznik politických stran v zemích lusofonní Afriky
The Formation of the Political Parties in Lusophone Africa

Summary/Abstract: The history of Lusophone political parties goes back into the 20th century. ln the first nationalistic phase, various non-political groups and organizations develop, the aim of which is not a struggle for political power but discovery of the sources of African national history, the strengthening of national confidence and the individuality of each nation in Portuguese Africa, the recovery of pride in the history of anti-white resistance and the development of national culture. ln the next phase, political attitudes begin to be formulated, particularly among African intellectuals, and these attitudes achieve an organized form in mostly illegal political organizations. In connection with the development of national liberation struggle, in each country the process of integration of various minor political parties and groups takes place. After gaining political independence in 1975, all countries in former Portuguese Africa adopted the system of one ruling political party, which practically functioned until the early 1990s, when the multiparty system was permitted. Now in each country, some 20-30 political parties are in existence, varying in size, strength and political orientation. An analysis of the formation of parties in Lusophone Africa shows that probably all the theoretical variants have appeared. The majority of national liberation movements have passed through the transformation into political parties. The history of the origin of Lusophone political parties includes several transformations of non-political organizations into protopolitical or political parties. The very frequent models of the development of parties are linked with the integration of non-political and political organizations. Here are found cases of integration of interest and pressure groups into a protopolitical/political party, protopolitical parties into political parties, interest and pressure groups and protopolitical parties into political parties or integration of political parties. The most frequent manner of the present-day formation of parties is quite clearly the disintegration of political organizations. At the foundation of new political parties stand no individuals but mostly whole fractions detached from political parties, congresses and fronts, without the original organizations becoming defunct, or the political parties, congresses and fronts break into various parties. Quite exceptional is the way of party development by a decree issued in an effort to strengthen the legitimity of an authoritarian group currently in power. The foundation of parties from an external impulse is not very common either although we must ask the legitimate question where did the African politicians find inspiration for the foundation of the parties with various ideological programmes (ecological, liberal, social democratic, communist, etc.), the ideologies of which are foreign to Africa and were brought from outside.

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