Against the Tide by Steven Friedman

Whatever the result of this election, the days of the large party are ending. In future elections, no party will ever again win 50% of the vote and so all governments will be coalitions. The big parties haven't figured this out yet but some of the smaller parties have. Citizens need to figure it out too so that we ensure that governments are formed by parties who believe that we need more democracy, not less.

This is the view of my weekly Against the Tide column sent to subscribers this week. To subscribe, visit the Against the Tide website and choose a subscription option. To request a free or reduced subscription contact info@againstthetide.co.za

Steven Friedman is a public commentator and an academic, currently employed as a Research Professor at the University of Johannesburg. He has been writing on South African politics for the entire democratic period both as a scholar and public commentator. He has published books on South Africa’s transition to democracy, the role of the trade union movement, and current South African politics. He has also written columns and articles for several South African newspapers. His writing seeks to use academic research to shed light on current politics but to ensure that this is conveyed in a way easily understood by people who have no academic training.