The word “democracy” originates from the Greek demos, people, and kratos, power, meaning government by the people. It represents a system of government that evolved in some of the city states of Ancient Greece, when eligible citizens assembled to discuss and decide on the affairs of State. They had a direct say in the system.

The emergence of modern nation States with large populations required representative institutions –Parliaments – where MPs spoke for their constituents and, collectively, scrutinised the performance of Ministers responsible for the nation’s affairs.

Genuine democracy presumes a form of “government by consent”. There is a point beyond which government cannot go without antagonising the people and their representatives.

Ever-present danger

Beyond that point, there is the ever-present danger of the winds blowing the ship of freedom and constitutional government towards the rocks of chaos and tyranny.

Tyranny is an ugly word. It can be grim, ruthless, and even murderous. But it could be grey and impersonal. The threat of this impersonal tyranny is a very real one, rendered possible by modern forms of organisation, technology and communications, and rendered necessary by the need to support vast masses

The worst form of tyranny comes when man plays God and, in a purely secular society, it is difficult to draw the line between the things that are Caesar’s and the things that are due to God.

Without vision, the people perish. Moral consensus is of the essence. To a nation built on moral purpose and religious conviction, this is a crucial question.

On the purely political and constitutional plane, democracy relies on the separation of powers, on checks and balances, on accountability and transparency.

Democratic legacy

The emergence of liberal democracy as we know it today, involved a painful process of strife, revolutions, even wars. True democrats who inherited this legacy have a vested interest in its survival; in its undiluted and unadulterated form. They would be even more concerned when genuine democracy is devalued, or is substituted by an ersatz democracy.

There is no genuine democracy when Parliament is emasculated, when the government of the day indulges in excesses in the exercise of patronage, creating all sorts of public entities and appointing executives according to its whims.

There is no genuine democracy when the government of the day decides to revise downwards the student stipend system two days before the opening of the academic year, without prior notice either to the student body or to Parliament.

Is it ‘‘democratic” for the government to wake up one morning and announce measures to extract Lm50

million, exclusively from taxpayers and consumers, without first adequately consulting its social partners?

Travesty of democracy

What is democratic about a system that permits the government of the day to commit and squander millions of liri in such projects as the failed Brindisi experiment, or the purchase of Avroliners that never paid off, without anyone being held accountable?

And what is democratic about a system where Ministers, guilty of bad management and responsible for frittering away public funds by the millions of liri, lie brazenly and attribute their irresponsibility to the Opposition?

Is it not a sham democracy if the government of the day – any government – first appoints an Ombudsman and an Accountant General, and then runs them down if they are critical of any aspect of the same government’s performance?

All of this is happening under our very eyes and in full view of the media hacks who, more often than not, turn a Nelson’s eye and change the subject.

It is time to call a spade a spade and to denounce this travesty of democracy. It is high time to plead for the succour and support of the democratic forces in Europe and elsewhere, before flagrant abuse of power is tempted to don the cloak of tyranny.

When bad men unite, the good must associate – and they must do so in good time.

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