The Alliance for Change (AFC) must be congratulated for conducting what appears to have been a most transparent, competitive and well executed leadership election. I recognise that there was a level of oligarchic intervention in the process but my impression is that there were genuine electoral struggles, and the normal pre-election scheming and cajoling, which has become the hallmark of the two larger traditional parties, do not appear to have been significant.
The recent AFC congress came at a time when many believe that the party has lost much of its support base because it has lost its way. As a result, there is considerable mutterings about its continued relevance, and the need for some kind of new ‘third force’.
In this article, I will make a broad historical/ideological sweep of the development of the party to indicate that there is substance in the view that the AFC is now adrift. Later, I will add more flesh to my contention that its present condition is the result of a failure to properly grasp and manage a difficult political context.
