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

Intolerance, political in-fighting and the intransigence of fundamentalists are poisoning the well of Maltese democracy.

Can we not make a determined, collective national effort to rise above the

humdrum?

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 for running the affairs of state, while the elected Opposition acts as a watchdog, with the role of government-in-waiting.

The system works if all the contending parties observe the rules of the game but, very often, politicians move the goalposts. They abide by the rules when in office but often undermine them when in opposition.

Frustration

Add to this the appearance of corrupt politicians, the growing assertiveness of bureaucrats and quango cowboys, and it is easy to understand the growing electoral frustration.

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

When electors look up and are not fed, the rot sets in. Like rising damp, the rot eats away at the foundations of democracy. People begin to hold politicians in contempt. Some of these come to be regarded as nonentities or habitual liars and associated with sleaze. Today, many electors talk more about perceived or actual scandals, than about conspicuous acts of good government. The cumulative effect is the drip-drip-drip erosion of public confidence, which could be deadly.

In both the short and long term, this constitutes a threat to the democratic process and it is the political class that has to do something about it. It has to clean the stables. In turn, the electorate 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 numbed 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. And very many are mystified when there is no urge 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 pretenders who fail to give a satisfactory account of their stewardship.

If the electorate is comatose and succumbs to cynicism towards 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 encouraged to take over. This does not 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 of lobbies, pressure groups and secretive committee members who emerge from 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 the public squares. All they need to do is 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 it by our spirit and resolve. Malta needs leadership, brains, wise counsel and the deliberate participation of an 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 on common issues and 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 others and 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 frog-march public opinion, and when politicians consider themselves omniscient once they are in office, have long gone.

In Malta, this progressive leap forward is still overdue. In this regard, the young generation has an active role to play, and the time for it is now.

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