Real democracy sadly a mere pipe dream

THE responses of the political parties to the Constitutional Court ruling on the secret ballot were quite interesting.

The losers in the matter seemed to spin it in such a way that it appears as if they had won a major victory.

The applicants, on the other hand, could hardly contain their overestimation of the ruling.

All sorts of things were read into this judgment. The applicants made much of the comments of the court that those elected to represent the citizens should not be compelled by their parties to vote in a particular way in their councils or Parliament.

It looked like those parties who compelled their representatives to vote as their caucus (read leaders) decrees, have been struck by a Damascus light.

They proclaimed for the world to hear that elected representatives should vote according to their conscience.

That’s true democracy they say. I am fascinated by the possibilities.

Perhaps now the Philippi Horticultural Area might be saved because councillors who agree with the activists, but claimed they were compelled to vote for inappropriate developments, can now vote according to their consciences.

The possibility of unwanted development on environmentally sensitive land being turned down by our free-conscience-voting councillors looms large. What a prospect. Now our local representatives can vote to keep the rates increase down.

I have visions of our public representatives doing what the will of the people want them to do.

No more lie detectors to check if they voted against the caucus instruction. Just imagine the possibilities for real democracy.

But alas, somebody just pinched me. I was dreaming. A pipe dream some might say. Philip Bam Grassy Park