Party-Movement Separation and Islamist Party Evolution: The Case of Ennahdha

• In Event: Islam and Party Politics

Abstract

The nature of the relationship between Islamist parties and the religious movement from which the party hails constitutes one of the most vital institutional settings that Islamist parties operate within. Here, I analyze Tunisian Ennahdha's recent “specialization” policy; in spring 2016, Ennahdha decided to separate its movement and dawah (movement) related activities from its political arm. I focus on two facets of this process. First, I examine the party’s motivation to adopt the “specialization” policy, the timing, and what the party expected to obtain out of this new organizational structure. Second, I analyze how this new organizational structure can shape the party’s ideological evolution. The nature of the relationship between the party and the movement fundamentally alters the political landscape and the meaning of electoral politics for Islamist parties with major ramifications for the party’s ideological rigidity. The party-movement hybrid is the preferred organizational structure for religious parties because this hybrid structure allows religio-political movements to operate as encompassing organizations that aligns well with the broad-based religious transformation they envision in the state and the society. Similarly, hybrid structures enable Islamist parties to lay claim on religious authority and harness it for electoral advantage. The research is based on extensive fieldwork and interviews conducted with high-ranking Ennahdha officials and survey evidence.

Author

• A.Kadir Yildirim, Rice University