What’s the Purpose of Political Parties?

When the Constitution was being drafted in the Special Majlis, those who didn't have representation in the Majlis (all parties other than DRP and MDP) made a lot of noise that they must be involved in the process. But now that they actually got the chance to get elected and play a role in the legislature, they appear to have chickened out. This raises questions on what their role is in the democratic process, and whether the millions of tax payer's money spent on them is worth the while.

There are 11 political parties registered in the country, all getting state funds. But of them only two – MDP and DRP – are even contesting a majority of seats. Three others are contesting about 20 seats. The remaining parties are contesting 2 to 3 or no seats at all. What exactly do they plan to do in the political life of this country?