However, the negotiations remain under the dark cloud of intra-elite mistrust that characterises our politics. Part of the challenge for OKA is that its constituent parties are weak and lack mechanisms of enforcing intra-elite pacts. If aggrieved, leading politicians can simply leave or register a new political party and take their supporters with them. The point here is that no legal agreement or constitutional amendment can solve the fundamental problem of personal untrustworthiness among our politicians. The lack of intra-elite trust is a serious impediment to the stability of our party system and democratic consolidation.

Source: Standard Digital July 24, 2021 08:26 UTC