Opposition in a democratic society.

It is clear that an effective Opposition is essential to good government.

During the time when the Progressive Labour Party was reduced to only seven seats in the House of Assembly, along with two NLP members, this newspaper became in a very real way the Opposition to the UBP Government and achieved some of its proudest times because it did a good job.

An effective political Opposition has the duty to keep the Government "on the straight and narrow'' and to stop it becoming arrogant or spendthrift. Jeremy Bentham's primary objective for a working democracy was, "The greatest good of the greatest number.'' That can only be achieved if the Government is forced to consider "the greatest number'' as opposed to just its majority or its members' self interests.

There is always pressure on the political system to do whatever a particular group wants and the temptation of collecting voters can lead to compliance with one or another narrow group. That is not "power to the people'' but rather power to pressure groups. As we see it, the new Government is going to be in danger of that, notably from the groups which brought it to power, the unions, the young, those organised to create pressure.

The democratic system demands patience, tolerance wisdom and reason. It should not demand instant response to every pressure. Politicians have to be very careful not to break the trust of the people for personal advantage. That is what creates today's general scepticism about politicians and is what the UBP did to the people with the McDonald's mess.

Any Government should take care that the public business is conducted honestly and competently. There may be crooks and fakes and bunglers among the politicians as there are in all walks of life but the fact is that the majority are sincere people doing an honest and difficult job for the Country.

The fact is that these days in Bermuda the best minds refuse to lower themselves to politics and that costs Bermuda dearly. The UBP had difficulty attracting good candidates for the last election and will have the same problem in Opposition. Yet, in the process of the Watergate investigations the indomitable US Senator Sam Ervin said, "If men and women of capacity refuse to take part in politics and government they condemn themselves, as well as the people, to bad government.'' The public has a habit of passing on all problems to politicians, even the problems created by the public themselves. They blame the politicians and then refuse to help toward solutions. That amounts to bad public behaviour and not to bad government.

Individuals have a responsibility for what goes on in the Country just as politicians do and it is not sufficient to say, as we so often do, "Let Government do it.'' If citizens refuse to help, they abdicate their responsibilities just as they abdicate when they fail to vote.

Individuals have no right to complain if they do not take part.