Susan Mendus, professor emerita in political philosophy at the University of York, did her homework about Malta before coming to deliver this year’s Mabel Strickland Memorial Lecture on ‘Politics and morality’. Though the topic must have been agreed well in advance, the points she raised could not have been more topical for this country.
“If politicians have powerful reasons for disguising or denying their wrongdoings, we, the electorate, have powerful reasons for wanting to know about those wrongdoings,” Prof. Mendus told her audience.
That statement was made as public opinion is being bombarded with accusations and counter-accusations by the political leaders about allegations of suspect deals and abuse of power.
Political parties continue to criticise their adversaries and defend themselves according to whether they are in government or in Opposition.
Unacceptable and indefensible action by a government in the eyes of the Opposition becomes par for the course when the situation changes and vice-versa. The people take note and demand information to draw their own conclusions but the powers-that-be come up with 101 reasons to keep certain things to themselves.
Prof. Mendus put this into perspective: “We, the electorate, need to know these things if we are to decide wisely in the ballot box but they, the politicians, need to keep us in ignorance of these things if they are to be re-elected.”
She did not stop there, offering a suggestion on a way out: a free press – “our surest, and perhaps our only, bulwark against political corruption”.
“The conflict of interest, which is endemic in modern democratic societies, can be ‘managed’ only if there is a free press, which owes no allegiance to government of any political complexion and which is therefore able to keep the electorate informed and informed, especially, about the kinds of things which politicians might understandably prefer us not to know,” Prof, Mendus said.
The list of cases politicians of every shade and colour would have preferred to remain under wraps is too long to reproduce here. Among the latest were Enemalta’s contract with Electrogas for the purchase of electricity and gas, all dealings with Shanghai Electric, the Cafè Premier bailout and the allegations of free jobs in Gozo under Giovanna Debono. Not to mention a number of inquiry reports.
Most would have gone unnoticed were it not for the independent press and a handful of individuals who were not afraid to stand up and be counted.
There may be justification in certain details not being made public, though these could still be communicated to parliamentary committees bound by non-disclosure to ensure adequate scrutiny and hold government to account. This should obviously happen sparingly and only where the nature of the contract/inquiry warrants it because the underlying principle should always be full disclosure.
It was rather gross for Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to urge the people not to be afraid to blow the whistle on public officials in view of his government’s insistence not to release certain information, which is clearly of public interest.
If the powers-that-be remain adamant in covering their tracks the best way they can, the onus to obtain what is theirs by right falls, first of all, on the people and, then, on the press.
The present local elections campaign is a good opportunity for the people, irrespective on which side of the political fence they sit, to tell politicians to respect them by being accountable.