In this virtual flood of electoral pledges that we have had over the last weeks, the better ideas, those that hold the possibility of fundamentally changing the way things operate in this country, need to be highlighted lest they are lost in this seemingly endless sea of promises.

As opposed to appealing to the lowest common denominator at election time, such as all those pledges related to the cross-party electoral mantra that they will ‘put money in our pockets’, some ideas actually look at the bigger picture, at a new way of doing things, of empowering the citizens themselves.

And one such example is the Labour Party’s ‘open governance’ pledge floated on Saturday.  In a nutshell, the party has proposed a pilot project through which the public nominating and voting for one representative on the boards of government corporations and regulatory authorities; and making upcoming legislation and government policies publicly-available

For starters, publicly-elected state board members would not mean nominating or voting for any Tim, Dick or Harry to be the public’s representative on the board of Enemalta, for the sake of argument. While the party has said that the parameters for nominations would be wide, to be eligible those nominated would need to have a proven track record in the area in question.

The party is also proposing the online publication of all draft legislation for public consultation, and that information technology and social networking be used to the maximum to encourage and receive as many policy suggestions as possible, suggestions that would be taken on board before parliamentary debates.  Documents exceedingly technical in nature and those written in pure legalese will be summarised and abridged for easier public consumption.

As matters currently stand, and quite irrespective of who is in government or opposition, so many government proposals are disputed by an opposition merely for the sake of it – a situation in which the desire for political mileage many times trumps the best interest of the people.  This second leg of Labour’s open governance proposal takes aim at such situations.

Another part of this open governance concept was the recent Labour pledge to publish MPs’ attendance records online, making those select few more accountable to their constituents - those who elected them in the first place.

After all, open governance is not just about giving the people a token input in the decision–making processes of the country, it also gives citizens have the right to access government documents and proceedings, such as through the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, to allow for effective public oversight of the running of the government.

‘We want an accountable, transparent government, and we are not afraid of letting go of some power to open government up beyond politicians,’ Labour leader Joseph Muscat said on Saturday, and this newspaper could not agree more in principle.

And while on the surface such concepts may seem a little simplistic to some, it must be pointed out that there is a whole lot more to it than that - just as the great tablet giveaway of the last week is less about mere electronic freebies and a lot more about reinventing the way our children are taught and how they learn.

Open governance is about making the people part of the decision-making process more often than once every five years when election time rolls around.  It is about involving the public in the running of the country; it is about creating the types of active citizens that will take this country upward and onward in the decades to come.  It is about active citizenship, and opening up government structures to the public.

Open governance means making sure that the public has access to government information so that they can engage more effectively with their government.  At the same time, it also means that governments have the ability to respond more effectively to citizens and work collaboratively to solve difficult governance issues.

Openness makes a government more transparent and accountable to its citizens and as such it enhances the legitimacy of those in power, in the process creating more faith in those who run the country.

Open governance is the platform between government and its citizens. It can have crucial roles in, for example, ensuring budget allocations or the use and provision of social services go to areas where the people feel they are most needed. 

It puts governments in greater contact with the people and at the same time it gives people better access to their government.  It provides a mechanism through which better and more accurately-developed services can be demanded, a mechanism through which a government also greatly increases its capacity to respond quickly to public concerns and demands.

According to the World Bank, a backer of open governance, the practice can lead to more efficient use of development spending, such as roads and schools being built where they are needed; improved delivery of government services through better management; and an overall improved quality of life for its citizens.

The practice of governments engaging with citizens, as well as with organisations from the private and civil society sectors, and it helps ensure that that policies implemented by the government are in tune with citizens’ needs.

Whatever side of the political fence one may stand, one would be hard pressed to imagine anyone disagreeing with such concepts.  This is a small country and being small can allow you to do some great things, as long as one has the right vision. Let us hope that if implemented, this concept of open governance will be taken to its full fruition here in Malta.