There seems to be never a dull moment in the frenzied Maltese political forum – yet every moment is dull.

Intolerance, political infighting, and the intransigence of fundamentalists are poisoning the well of Maltese democracy.

Can’t we make a determined, collective national effort to rise above the humdrum routine?

We live in a democracy where Parliament is elected to pursue the res publica. This is a form of government that operates on the basis of consent in free elections, with the assumption that the elected government is responsible to run the affairs of State, while the elected Opposition acts as watchdog, with the role of government-in-waiting.

The system works if all the contending parties observe the rules of the game. Very often, politicians change the goalposts. They abide by the rules when in office and sometimes undermine them when in opposition.

Politics is no longer the preserve of politicians. Pressure groups, lobbyists and single-issue fanatics often cause a breakdown of the system in its true democratic sense, leaving no room for tolerance of dissenting views and hardly any for genuine freedom of expression.

Frustration

Add to this the appearance of corrupt politicians, the growing assertiveness of bureaucrats and quango cowboys, and one could easily understand the growing electoral frustration.

What every electorate wants is democracy and governments that will listen and respond, and satisfy reasonable demands and aspirations of the common citizen.

When electors look up and are not fed, the rot sets in. Like rising damp, it eats away at the foundations of democracy.

People begin to hold politicians in contempt. Some of these start to be regarded as nonentities or habitual liars, and associated with sleaze. Today, many electors talk more about perceived or actual scandals than on conspicuous acts of good government. The cumulative effect is the drip-drip-drip erosion of public confidence, which could be deadly.

In the short and long term, this constitutes a threat to the democratic process. It is the political class that has to do something about it. It has to clean its stables. The electorate also has an interest in seeing that this job is done to its satisfaction – or else.

Local relevance

All of this has relevance in present-day Malta. The electorate is benumbed by certain political decisions and by the inscrutable inertia of the bureaucracy in dealing with flagrant irregularities.

Many wonder why the culture of resignations never had a chance to grow roots in these islands, and why ministers never get sacked when they are unequal to their responsibilities. Very many are mystified when there is no compulsion to set up independent, transparent investigations when blatant abuses – real or perceived – make the headlines.

This drift must, on no account, be allowed to continue. There seems to be growing evidence that public opinion is alive to the need for change.

Citizens who value democracy recognise the need to rally around politicians capable of turning the tide – not just politicians with proven records but up-and-coming elements who can perform with greater promise than shady and mediocre elements that failed to give a satisfactory account of their stewardship.

If the electorate is comatose and succumbs to cynicism of public life, democracy is in danger. What then is the answer?

Bad eggs

Parliamentary democracy demands a wide-awake demos. The electorate must be alert, up and about, conscious that, in the final analysis, it is the politicians who must do its bidding and not vice-versa.

Politicians with a poor record, and others with dubious credentials, irrespective of party, must be weeded out and promising new blood be encouraged to take over This does no apply exclusively to politicians holding parliamentary seats, but also to party apparatchiks who are unequal to the challenge

It is of no use complaining that certain “bad eggs” control the parties, run the media and have all the power to manipulate the course of events. These “bad eggs” would like nothing more than a sheepish electorate that responds tamely to the bidding if lobbies, pressure groups and secretive committee members who come out of the woodwork. Likewise, there are politicians who think that electors can be mesmerised into submission.

Times are changing. There seems to be a growing awareness that electors are not all putty in the none-too-clean hands of political smart alecs.

Essential objectives

It is a myth to say that undesirable politicians cannot be pushed aside by a determined electorate. To restore democracy, which is their right, electors need not fight at the barricades, or occupy public squares All they need is to go to the ballot box and exercise their sovereignty with discernment.

The country in which we will live for the rest of our lives is what we make of it by our spirit and resolve.

Malta needs leadership, brains, wise counsel and the deliberate participation of the enlightened electorate. Without the latter, nothing can be done to invigorate the democratic process from the grassroots upwards.

An essential objective is to raise the intellectual level of Maltese politics. This presupposes the commitment and participation of more people with the right candlepower and the encouragement of party activists to raise their sights.

The time has come for intellectual forces to start talking about common issues and to promote the cross-pollination of ideas on cultural, economic, political and social issues. This does not mean the renunciation of one’s views. It means a willingness to expose one’s views to the arguments of other and to test such views in a climate of constructive criticism. Electors must learn how to take dissent in their stride and how to tolerate opposing views seeking the right of exposure.

In the end, it is the electorate that should freely decide what is good for it and for the country.

The days when political parties moulded public opinion, and when politicians considered themselves omniscient once they were in office, have long gone in progressive societies.

In Malta, this progressive leap forward is still overdue.

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