Stop the rants, independents are saviours of our democracy

One feature of a mature democracy is the right of candidates for public office to stand for election as independents – without any party affiliation. This should be a core basic human right in every democracy, whether mature, putative, or aspiring. It’s a recognition of one basic truism – that political parties are voluntary organisations to which individuals can either associate, or disassociate. But it’s more.

It’s an acceptance that individuals should be free to reject parties and that parties may not represent the whole range of ideological and moral choices acceptable to every individual. It’s a repudiation of the assertion that parties are the only guardians of democracy. The right of independent candidacies is a vindication of an individual’s right of conscience.