Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/788859
24 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 19 FEBRUARY 2017 Opinion I t's amazing, isn't it – we all stand by democracy, think it something wonderful, but seem to be oblivious to the fact that it is a fertile field for corruption, which thrives so well where democracy is strong. It thrives as well as where there is no democracy, in fact. Democracy, in our case, is the reason why both Malta's political parties are tainted with it. Can it be otherwise – in such a small society as ours, can anyone really believe that those in power can ever remain unaffected by corruption? It is we ourselves, who bring down our politicians, by the demands we make on them. And in their desire to remain in power, our political leaders show weakness by heeding those demands. The fact is, the Maltese are basically a corrupt people. In speaking of democracy, it somehow always brings to my mind the Tullio Carminati quote, speaking in his role as Cardinal Giacobbi, the Vatican Secretary of State, to Cardinal Quarenghi (Raf Vallone) and Mgr Stephen Fermoyle (Tom Tryon) in the Otto Preminger film The Cardinal. "Democracy," Cardinal Giacobbi tells the Monsignor, "is neither the ultimate, nor necessarily the best form of government. It is simply the favourite doctrine of a country discovered by an Italian, who thought he was going some place else." I could not agree more. I do not know what could be better than democracy, but it is such an abysmally flawed system. In the US, the country which has its favourite doctrine, Donald Trump was elected President, a man who is uninformed, bullying and dictatorial, though Hillary Clinton polled nearly three million votes more. Some political leaders are elected democratically, and go on to enrich themselves on the blood and sweat of the hoi polloi who elected them. Dom Mintoff fiddled with the electoral boundaries and in 1981 won more seats in parliament than the Nationalist Party, which won the majority of votes – in a proportional representation system, where a majority of votes should translate into a majority of seats. Eddie Fenech Adami contested the 1996 election on the accountability battle cry. He lost, and even while his party executive was concussed, he got them to vote him again into the party leadership. Lawrence Gonzi spent the last year of his government bringing laws up for discussion in parliament, which went through the motions of debate but the laws were never enacted, because Gonzi feared putting them to the vote, having only a one-seat majority, and with the recalcitrant Franco Debono not coming to heel. Joseph Muscat promised much, has delivered much, but still has many other promises to deliver. And Simon Busuttil uses democracy to the hilt, unashamedly claiming credit for the PN for the cheaper utility bills we are now paying because, Busuttil argues, of the facilities the PN left in being from their time in government. He does not explain why the PN in government, having those same facilities, found it not only impossible to charge cheaper rates, but in fact raised those rates inexorably. That's democracy for you. And some of its many flaws and foibles. Busuttil says the present government is Malta's most corrupt ever. I don't think so. I think the most corrupt government we have ever had is the government that allowed corruption to flourish so freely that for months and years contractors delivered weak concrete for the building of our one and only 'state of the art' hospital, which could kill the patients being treated there, if it comes crashing down. That government also built a power station that was supposed to be gas fired, but which instead was built to operate on fuel oil, so that people closely linked to the government would become millionaires from the commissions they earned on the oil that was imported. For freedom of expression, Busuttil is sticking his neck out for the blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia. It was tacitly accepted everywhere, that DCG writes only to promote the PN. Who can blame her? I don't, though I certainly do not accept her merciless way of taking people down. Busuttil's defence of her against the garnishee orders, is clearly the admission everyone needed from the PN to confirm what they thought, that DCG wrote for the PN. DCG launches a scurrilous attack against one of Busuttil's own deputy leaders, and Busuttil remains mum. Not a word in defence of Mario de Marco. Then a minister takes DCG to court for libel, and files for garnishee orders, because she is known not to pay. And Busuttil is holding a protest for freedom of expression. I wonder, who is calling the tune? Garnishee orders have been filed before. Ask MaltaToday's Saviour Balzan. Or the Times of Malta. No threat was seen to freedom of expression then, when two media houses were taken a shot at. But garnishee orders are filed against DCG, and suddenly democracy and freedom of expression are under threat. There is to be a national protest for freedom of expression, and a private member's bill has been presented in parliament by the Opposition to ban such garnishee orders on defamation cases. Now that the columnist who writes for the PN has had such orders filed against her, Busuttil becomes a knight on a white charger. Is that the sort of meritocracy he means to practise? Roger Mifsud is a retired journalist Garnishee orders have been filed before. No threat was seen to freedom of expression. But garnishee orders are filed against DCG, and suddenly democracy and freedom of expression are under threat Pic Roger Mifsud Thursday TVM 20:50 Simon Busuttil flushed out