I’m writing in response to Mark Ogier’s article on 23 April regarding Mr David Reed’s declaration that, if elected, he will do ‘absolutely nothing’. It is certainly a headline-grabber, but unfortunately, it also clashes head-on with the law.
The Reform (Guernsey) Law, 1948 requires candidates to sign a declaration of their willingness to serve if elected. This is not a gesture, it is a legal obligation. To sign it while intending to abstain from office is, at best, disingenuous and, at worst, a criminal offence.
While I respect Mr Reed’s imaginative attempt to highlight political waste, democracy is not performance art. Public office is not a protest position, it is a responsibility rooted in law and public trust. Promising to leave a seat empty risks misleading voters and may well trigger the very by-election he hopes to avoid.
Before reimagining democracy, I would suggest a more thorough reading of the law that governs it, especially if one is to stand for election.
Sarah Hansmann Rouxel
You need to be logged in to comment. If you had an account on our previous site, you can migrate your old account and comment profile to this site by visiting this page and entering the email address for your old account. We'll then send you an email with a link to follow to complete the process.