The arbiter of all that happens in Malta has decided that I, the unknown, inconsequential blogger, am not only living in outer space but also am a sort of time -traveller. He, distinguished lawyer that he is, and observer of all things nefarious, unconstitutional and anti-democratic, has realised that I am living in medieval times.

So if I sometimes sound somewhat strange and talk of dark ages please forgive me as I have now been consigned far from the present by none other than the fabled Dr Franco Debono. He did not say what role I had or have in those dark ages—I, because I am a silly dreamer, imagine I am a most successful court jester. The one with funny bells on his hat and sometimes also called the fool. Not sure if fools back then blogged or simply got flogged. But let me try to get back to the exciting present.

Dr Debono did this—consigning me to a time long past— in response to my blog piece about Alternattiva Demokratika and their wishful thinking campaign to get elected in parliament with a few seats, or just a solitary one, in their quest to solve all our democratic foibles. He, the most Nationalist of all Nationalists—his words not mine—decreed that we have a terrible, and very old-fashioned democracy, because we do not allow groups like AD to get into parliament. Or words to that effect.

I must have made myself very unclear in that piece—maybe because I used funny olde English? I am all for inclusion and different hues in parliament—I fondly wish to see all the colours of the rainbow represented in our stilted place of discussion and ultimate arbiter of all things bright and beautiful in this isle of ours.

Having everyone represented in parliament would be a real dream come true—a commie, a socialist of old, a pure conservative, a collector of Panini cards, a bridge-player, a woman who still hankers about times when bras were worn to be burnt, a bishop of Gozo to keep our morals righter than ever before; yes all this and more and nothing of the old grey-suited silly parties of today. That's a real dream. I don't know if you get my drift—the more different ideas and ideals we have the better society will be represented there.

As a silly medieval scribe I digressed and nearly lost the plot—well everyone is doing that so surely a few readers of mine won't care many hoots, will you? Parliament has for over half a century been neatly divided into two factions—let's call them greys and dark greys to avoid getting all colourful and personal about who is blue and bluer and who should be red and raging red.

This two-party way of running parliament has meant neat division and, except for some loose MPs going astray, it has usually meant governability. Not necessarily good government or good representation of all sections and sectors of the population but surely better than constant gridlock and spates of inconclusive elections. Add more colour, as I wish and as Dr Franco Debono wishes, and we get organised and definite mayhem. He tells me I am stuck in the past and do not believe in real democracy. Well, if his kind of democracy is having loads of parties, loads of idealistic loners and loads of problems with factions, coalitions and ungovernability—a bit of what we have been seeing these last few months—then yes, I'm dead-set against it.

Better boringly grey than garish colours which never match and can hardly govern.