BEYOND PARALLEL DEMOCRACY?

Abstract

In ethnically divided political systems, the election campaign and ethnic tensions usually has a
strong mutual connection. However, although election campaigns could provoke tensions (which
usually does) their intensity, or at least their visibility in successive election cycles is on a
different scale. From a theoretical perspective, the occurrence of tensions during elections in
ethnically divided societies is not a controversial process. Based on past experience, ethnic
tensions could be predicted in a political system composed entirely or partially from ethnically
defined political parties, as a process usually accompanied with common allegations from both
sides of the ethnic barrier for the responsibility of its emergence. Although, usually the both
sides has their share in intensification of ethnic disputes during elections, it could be not
neglected, that depending on observed election period in general, one side is more persistent in
amplification on its ethnic agenda, than the other. The favorable public attitude on different pre-
election policies and election programs, especially concerning ethnic provisions, is of a
paramount importance for the campaign decisions made by the ethnic political elites, who are
hardly ever prepared of pursuing the unfavorable (among its own ethnicity) political solutions
which can endanger their popularity, and more important, that could not ensure new votes.
Therefore, the election campaigns of political parties in divided societies are mainly based on
attitudes which could ensure immediate inclusion among its own ethnic group, especially from
the so called “extreme voters.” This part of the electorate is easier to be attracted with profoundly
elaborated ethnic agenda, especially if a party is faced with downfall support or it is not included
in the Government (opposition party). Those pre-election agendas are easier and more exploited
by the parties, than the creation of an ethnically exclusive, but inter-ethnically inclusive civic
premises which could have blurred effect for the party, with expectations for possible political
gains only over extended time frame.