Letter to the Editor - Reply to Roamer

The Sunday Times of Malta



The Editor, The Sunday Times, Valletta

Dear Sir,

Roamer (Sunday Times 30th July 2000) found difficulty in understanding why I believe termination of this Government`s mandate by December 2001 and elections early in 2002 are in the national interest and an indispensable pre-condition for the round-table national interest conference he suggested. Permit me to explain.

In October 1996 this country democratically elected a Labour Government with a majority exceed two voting quotas which in perfect proportional representation would have given labour government of 1996 a parliamentary majority of two.

This mandate should have run its course till December 2001. Democracy allows five year intervals for government to submit themselves to electoral tests. This democratic process was upset by the combined result of district boundary gerrymandering and the lack of democratic credentials of Mr Mintoff who claimed` the right to impose his view on everybody else`s.

Labour lost its parliamentary majority and could not govern. Whilst it took the country to the polls in the greatest show of democratic credentials, nothing can change the fact that the mandate of 1998 is rooted in lack of real democracy. This is not a legal or constitutional issue. This is a logical and moral issue.

The last electoral mandate that was not rooted in dubious democratic double-speak is that of 1996. This would have expired in December 2001 and till then the Nationalists have the moral right to govern by default of Labour`s ability to do so. In an election the people do not elect only the government but also the opposition that has to step in to govern where the government fails.

After December 2001 the applicable mandate would be that of September 1998 which though perfectly legal and constitutional (so please do not counter-argue with legalities and constitutionalities) is of dubious democratic value as it overrides the valid mandate given in 1996 by the undemocratic behaviour of one single person.

So if a `mountain of goodwill` is needed for the roundtable to succeed this goodwill has to be reciprocated by a `hill of goodwill` to give due respect to the democratic process and electoral mandate in its most basic underlying values.

And there is a further practical reason.` Now that it is clear that EU membership before 2005 is neigh impossible why risk burning two years of this country`s life in the indecision that a lot of the work being done could be just nullified by a Labour electoral victory in an election due by latest February 2004` Now that people are finally starting to understand the realities of EU membership why not give this country a stable government with a five year mandate during which the elected government can execute its clear mandate of EU membership or a Swiss model type of relationship This is clearly what national interest demands. My wonder is why has it to be spoon-fed to people who should know better.

Yours truly,

Alfred Mifsud