The pencils, Hutch, a clueless voter, all part of democracy

This week’s Mediahuis Irish regional newspapers’ column

Michael Commane

I’ve been thinking about elections and democracies these last days. With all its failings democracy is the best system that’s been tried.

If you want to get an idea what it would be like to live in a totalitarian Ireland I recommend you read Paul Lynch’s ‘Prophet Song’. He won last year’s Booker Prize for his novel. It tells a frightening story of what it would be like to live in a dictatorship. 

Our system of proportional representation seems to me the perfect fit to get so many opinions represented in parliament. It’s certainly far superior to the UK system of first past the post.

But why did so many people not vote in this election? The turn out was below 60 per cent, which is worrying.

The day after the election I got chatting to a woman in her 40s. Subject matter turned to the election and she told me for whom she voted and I subsequently told her where my votes went.

When I asked her why she voted for that particular party she said she believed all politicians were corrupt and she wanted change. But she did not say that her candidates of choice were not corrupt. She was not able to mention one single policy of the party for which she voted. What does that say about democracy?

Why did the media give Gerry Hutch so much publicity? Marie Sherlock, who snatched the last seat from him, has been a hard working Senator and the media gave her little or no coverage. It was all the worst aspects of media soundbites. 

And then I had a discussion with a young man I greatly admire and like. He was or, indeed, still is convinced that pencils are supplied at the polling stations allowing wrongdoing to take place so that our votes can be tampered. To prove to him that is not so I voted with a biro and told him so. I’m still not sure he accepts my argument. What does that say about democracy?

And something else has me puzzled. I think it’s fair to say that most sensible people are now aware that climate change is a reality, the planet is in difficulty, and we can’t carry on pretending nothing is happening. 

The Green Party had the environment top of their agenda during the last five years and they certainly played their part in making us all aware of the importance of changing our ways. On a personal note, I have benefited greatly from their policies on public transport. What happens? They have one TD in the new Dáil. Why?

I thought commentator David Quinn’s comment that he was glad to see the ‘Greens decimated’ was most ungracious, nasty too. Nor did it make any sense.

Politics sure is a funny old game.  Congratulations to all who were elected and good fortune to those sitting in the 34th Dáil. 

May we have a decent honest government that will serve all the people and look out in a special way for the less advantaged.