[Foundation-l] Breaking promises (was Re: Where we are headed)

[Troy Hunter]

Danny wrote:
> This is an example of why I find the questions "Who voted for it?" and "Who
> voted against it?" immensely troubling. In a true democratic system, the
> secret  ballot allows people to vote their conscience, rather than voting for
> popularity, material reward, fear of censure, and whatnot.

Firstly, a true democratic system delegates authority to elected representatives of the people. That is not the case here, authority is delegated to a Board, the majority of which is unelected. Two out of five members have very little claim to a mandate. What right do they have to follow their conscience?

Secondly, in a true democratic system, the participation of the people is not limited to a periodic vote. Ongoing oversight from a well-educated, well-informed public is necessary, to prevent an abuse of power. This allows the people to ensure that their elected representatives do indeed serve their interests. It allows them to make an informed choice at the next election, and to organise opposition.

For these reasons, in the World's major democracies, representatives do not have a secret vote. Representatives must be held accountable. They must be held to their promises.

> A commitment to openness should not be misused so cynically.

What commitment? The resolution we're talking about was debated 6 weeks ago. Why wasn't it announced or publically debated back then? Why didn't we know who voted in favour and against?

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