The fact that the All-Party Committee on the Constitution has commenced hearings to consider changing the electoral system, as reported in this newspaper on Saturday, will come as a surprise to voters. The question was put on the formal agenda in the revised programme for the Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrats Coalition last November when the Government promised to "advance the process of electoral reform" before the next general election. It was referred to the chairman of the appropriate Oireachtas committee, Mr Brian Lenihan, at the end of last year when it was generally assumed that the case for, and against, changing the current voting system would be heard in public.
Now it has been learned that not alone have the hearings on the most important component of our democratic system commenced but they are being held in private. There are two reasons, at least, why this is reprehensible. The Government, which is proposing to change proportional representation for the third time in the history of this State, is being permitted the privilege of concealing its case. Instead, the musings of the Minister for the Environment, Mr Noel Dempsey, which up until now have been capable of being presented as personal views by the Government machine, have been elevated to the status of a formal Government initiative.
This development highlights a very important democratic deficit which should be corrected without delay. The impetus for changing the current system is coming from politicians. It was tried, and failed, in the past. Two of the most popular Fianna Fail leaders, Eamonn de Valera and Jack Lynch, tried to introduce the British "first past the post" system in 1959 and 1968 and, on both occasions, their proposals were rejected by the people in referendums.
The voting system is there to serve the interests of the people, not politicians. For this reason, voters should be entitled to hear the case advanced by two of the most persistent proponents of change over the years, Mr Noel Dempsey and former Fine Gael Taoiseach, Dr Garret FitzGerald. Their submissions have already been made to the committee in private. In coming weeks, we are told, the All-Party Committee will meet Mr Alan Dukes of Fine Gael, Mr Eamon Gilmore of the Labour Party and the Fianna Fail backbench TD, Mr Sean Fleming. Mr Fleming is due to deliver a paper opposing Mr Dempsey's suggestion that there should be a change to single-seat constituencies incorporating some kind of list system next Wednesday.
Mr Fleming is expected to argue that Mr Dempsey's proposed changes would limit the choice of candidates available to voters while the list system would institutionalise the party system and give inordinate power to the leaders of political parties. With a change in our electoral system being formally advanced, and considered, by the Government, it is not good enough that voters are unaware of the deliberations of their elected representatives. This is too important a matter to be left to a cosy consensus amongst the political parties in secret sessions behind closed doors. Public hearings would avoid pernicious and selective manipulation of public opinion through media leaks.