In competitive authoritarian regimes, also known as electoral autocracies, such as
Zimbabwe, opposition parties often find themselves in a state of dormancy, effectively
becoming “comatose.” A comatose opposition party is one that has ceased to perform its
fundamental roles of scrutinising, opposing, and counterbalancing the ruling party and
government. Despite being registered as opposition parties, it lack the spirit and deed to
challenge the status quo. These comatose opposition parties are prevalent in competitive
authoritarian regimes where key democratic institutions, including opposition parties, are
created and allowed to compete for elective posts to a limited extent. However, their
primary function is to promote and maintain the ruling elite in power, mitigating threats
to their rule. The ruling party often provides life support to these opposition parties,
strategically keeping them as a smoke screen or titular career opposition parties to serve
three main purposes.
