Sir, - With elections soon, it should be noted that Ireland, though one of the smallest countries in the EU, is the least democratic, because we lack the essential element of democracy which is choice. When we come to vote is a matter of Tweedledum or Tweedledee!
Why so? Because no matter what way we vote (those who bother to) the next Government will inevitably be led by FF or FG, with the junior partners ditching their principles and mandate "in the national interest" (Bull Island!).
Labour should be the natural opposition, but when given the chance some years ago Dick Spring, and later Ruairi Quinn, took the rewards of office, rather than hold out for a chance to form a left-wing government, as opposed to the conservative governments we've had since the State was founded. Let FF and FG bury their Civil War animosity and coalesce.
The cynics wouldn't trust the politicians to keep to their election manifesto ("in the national interest," mind you - not the perk and merc). Remember C.J. Haughey deriding Garrett for the doom and gloom, and as soon as elected he applied the hairshirt. But if politicians could be irrevocably tied to their manifestoes and forget about any other consideration, including "the national interest", then we could make a start at having real choice and thus real democracy. It might take another election to get there, but we'd be on the way. - Yours, etc.,
Sean Smyth, Sandycove, Co Dublin.