We don’t vote for the MPs

FRIDAY’S The Herald carries an article written by Steven Friedman, who suggests that a secret ballot in parliament on the no-confidence debate would be undemocratic (“Voting by secret ballot in SA parliament not democratic”).

His main argument is that “MPs are in parliament because citizens voted for them” and that “they are accountable to voters who have the right to know what they do in their name”.

This argument is totally valid in the Westminster system where each constituency elects a representative who only they can change at the next ballot.

This argument is totally invalid in our proportional representation system where we vote for a party that then appoints its proportionate number of MPs and that can replace them at its will with no election taking place.

Our system with its extremely generous packages for MPs renders all our MPs puppets to their master, that is the party that put them there.

Citizens certainly never ever “voted for them” and they do not consider themselves “accountable to voters”.

Of course we know that the party publishes its list of candidates at election time in priority order, but this means nothing.

Our first election listed Bantu Holomisa as number 13 on the ANC candidate listing and within six months, with no elections, he was dismissed from his parliamentary MP appointment because he did not toe the party line and was replaced by a “Yes man”.

It is surprising that someone of Friedman’s experience and stature could get it so wrong.

Andre Jensen, Mill Park, Port Elizabeth