Sir, – I fear Vincent Browne (“Government of cynical stunts is allergic to real democracy”, Opinion & Analysis, September 18th) has identified the wrong culprit for the shortcomings in the State’s major institutions. It is not the politicians but we, the citizens, who are primarily responsible.
We persist in voting for the parties that have formed all our governments. Might we conclude that this voting pattern happens because the electorate feels that these parties reflect its own views, attitudes and methods?
Mr Browne laments the “exclusion of the people from the big decisions”. He seems to have forgotten we have opted for a system of representative democracy, with a degree of direct democracy. In other words, we elect representatives and empower them to act as a parliament and government, while retaining to ourselves the right to amend the Constitution. When we are asked to be the decision-makers, we often demonstrate an attachment to our system. Mr Browne speaks of “the unrepresentative character of the system” but two attempts to replace the PR system were rejected in referendums.
I’m afraid Mr Browne will have to realise we have the system we have chosen and, despite the tribunals, etc, we show little appetite for radical change.
Such change as has occurred has often been imposed from outside, from the EU, UN and, more recently, the troika.
It would be more convenient and popular to hold the politicians liable for the shortcomings you mention, but the truth is that responsibility ultimately lies with the people – and they are, as Mr Browne notes, sovereign. – Yours, etc,
HUGH BOYLE,
Kimmage Road West,
Dublin 12.