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The fastest growing phenomenon in local politics is the party of non-voters. This week particularly has seen electors, across the political divide, growing increasingly disillusioned and disengaged. They suffer a government in free fall. Minister Pullicino steamrolls through parliament a property extension law which hurts the sensitivities of all persons committed to the environment; Minister Mugliett defends the indefensible position of the chief executive of ADT; Minister Gatt threatens to arrest a journalist and calls for an investigation into the auditor-general. All of this political recklessness and arrogance is chipping at government’s core vote.
The Opposition too is going nowhere. Alfred Sant targets George Pullicino accusing him, without a shred of evidence, of corruption, yet another classic act of political irresponsibility lowering Labour to the pits; Justyne Caruana makes a vicious attack on journalists and the Nationalist party and rather than being censored by new Labour, gets a standing ovation. No wonder politicians are trusted less.
The net result is the growth of a new political trend, the party of non-voters, uncommitted and indifferent to the next election result. Traditional high voting patterns look like a thing of the past. Voter turnout is likely to plummet unless a new political force breaks through.
The problems run deep. The prime minister had promised a new way of doing politics. This declaration filled us all with hope. Dismissing Richard Muscat could have been the realisation of this promise. Regrettably, we are still waiting. We definitely need to rethink the way we do politics so that ordinary people and their concerns, the environment, disposable income, cost of living and immigration are placed higher on government’s agenda.
It is formal politics which is in decline. People are not politically apathetic in fact a growing number of citizens are engaged in charity and community work outside politics. Pressure group politics has grown as we see more people signing petitions and supporting campaigns. The recent environmental alliance is a case in point. Interest runs high in issue politics. The decline is in formal politics. Herein lies the malaise.
This bad feeling arises due to democracy as we practice it since it is not giving people enough influence over political decisions. The two main political parties appear lacking in principle and looking too similar, the electoral system leads to wasted votes. The deep cause behind this disengagement appears to be the political system which has simply not adjusted to lifestyle expectations, and values of today. They are still inbred and tied to a system prior to the social changes which took place. In brief, citizens have changed yet our laws have remained the same. The lack of co-habitation rights being just one of many examples. The response of the political system to these changes has been self-interested in the sense that parties have adapted their policies and campaigning simply to winning elections. Burning issues of concern to minority interests are simply brushed under the table as potential vote losers.
Accordingly neither major party debates the introduction of divorce, the outlawing of hunting, the rationalisation of the public service system and other potential vote losers. Politics is simply all about the winning and exercising of power. The political fallout is public disengagement. In this background one would have expected Alternattiva to have made more gains. Somehow it has failed to galvanise wider support for its policies. But things could change.
Our country needs to respond rapidly to this potential weakening of our democracy. Citizens must be placed in a direct position to influence political decisions, which concern them. There must be more accountability in parliament from the executive to parliament. The powers of scrutiny need to be enhanced. Too much power goes unchecked. The electoral system needs an overhaul so that votes are not wasted. Shifts of power away from the central to the local government level need to be further encouraged. Government should introduce powers for citizens to propose legislation and to launch public inquiries. Donations to parties need to be capped and made transparent.
The current way of doing politics is indeed killing politics. The country still awaits the prime minister’s promise to do politics differently. In this absence voter apathy will increase. There has never been more fertile ground for a new political formation.
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