Tragedy for democracy if Ombudsman becomes a rubber stamp for those in authority - Archbishop

It would be a tragedy for democracy and the ordinary people if the Ombudsman became a rubber stamp for administrative decisions, Archbishop Charles Scicluna has said. He was speaking during Mass to mark the 20th anniversary since the Office of the Ombudsman was set up. Mgr Scicluna urged the Office of the Ombudsman to help bring about a change in the old, but still prevalent, colonial mentality which separated the state from ordinary people. Many people still thought that abusing of something which belonged to the state was okay because that belonged to the government - rather than to the people. "This mentality has to change because in a democratic society, the citizen is master of his own home," he said. Those who, for example, damaged public property, were damaging something which belonged to all. Conversely,, the government was not a benefactor before whom people had to plead in order to get something. Those who were in government had not been given a blank cheque to do as they pleased with the people's resources. That too was a feudal, undemocratic mentality. The Office of the Ombudsman could be effective when there was the democratic will and humility to subject...