Saving us from 'sovereign' politicians

Imagine a general election in which you have the possibility of choosing by issue rather than by party. Choosing what the politicians are proposing rather than the politicians themselves. If a politician is promising better roads, you vote directly for that rather than for him.

Of course, this is only a dream. With our system of representative democracy, you have to choose one party, warts and all.

If that party is elected with an absolute majority, it basically does whatever it likes during its term of office. Politicians like to call it 'sovereignty' - their sovereignty, that is!

But look at Switzerland. The Swiss vote quite regularly in referenda on a host of issues. They vote in general elections too but their politicians have to administer policies that have been decided upon by the people in referenda and with which the politicians might not agree. The people are sovereign, not the politicians.

Of course, it does not mean the people are always right. There have been referendum results that reversed previous ones. Neither does it mean politicians are just weather vanes - administering others' policies. They lead. They engage in healthy debate. They show people what certain policies might realistically mean in the short and long term. What they might mean for different sectors. But it is a healthy debate, one that respects healthy sovereignty, the sovereignty of the people.

In the run-up to European Union membership, we have quite a noisy debate about sovereignty in Malta - but it is the politicians' sovereignty. Those politicians who fear losing (their) sovereignty to the European Union are the same politicians who repeat continuously that they will completely disregard the people's decision in the referendum on EU membership.

But what did these politicians do with their 'sovereignty'? They allowed, even praised, the political violence in Zejtun and Gudja and the Curia. They gave us corruption in the granting of building permits and trade licences. Even in the sale of colour television sets! They even required us to pay Lm800 to get a licence for a fax machine! They employed their party stalwarts in the public sector, 8,000 of them, and sent us a tax bill upwards of Lm400 million since.

They told us how and on what to spend and save our money. They sent us to Sicilian markets. They spent the taxes we paid on their partisan priorities rather than on basic infrastructural needs. They gave us Maghtab. They controlled education and wanted to close independent schools. They required us to go begging before them for our rights.

What we want is true sovereignty for us - for you and me - not for the politicians who used what they call 'sovereignty' to control our lives and give us violence and corruption and dreadful unemployment. This is what European Union membership will give us and this is why 'sovereign' politicians are dead set against EU.

In just 16 months we can be European citizens enjoying all EU rights and freedoms as any other EU citizen. We will be able to choose what goods and services to buy without the government interference and plethora of taxes and levies that still survive from the years of 'sovereign' control.

We will enjoy better worker rights and safety. We will be able to grab the education and training opportunities EU membership will make available to us here and abroad. We will enjoy easier travel.

We will enjoy the results of true enforcement of European standards in our environment. We will be able to vote in European Parliament elections. We will enjoy the fruits of a much more attractive Malta for foreign investment.

We will enjoy European consumer and civil rights. We will buy products and services of a higher quality and safer food. We will enjoy better conditions for groups with special needs. We will get greater respect for our language and culture. We will enjoy a higher standard of living and a much better quality of life. We will get help from the EU itself to reach its standards. We will be able to seek redress directly from Brussels if our government does not deliver on its European commitments.

The EU itself will help us achieve all these targets.

All this can start happening in just 16 months!