In its formal manifestation in government, democracy requires the separation of powers. And the genius of this form of governance (democracy) resides therein that the faction (or party) recedes before the public good.

Regarding popular participation in public life, including governance, President Thabo Mbeki called on his party at the weekend to get its house in order and rightly called on those in the Eastern Cape in particular to expand the basis of democracy.

The latter can only be done effectively if people are armed with literacy, information and an atmosphere void of fear (of reprisal).

The government's withholding of information, for example about the arms deal and self-interested involvement in it, and the requirement of political correctness in public debate, however, stultify democracy.

Parties therefore ought to sponsor public education programmes highlighting the essential features of democracy rather than hammering home the themes of party loyalty and discipline.

The people must be placed in a position to criticise and proffer new ideas, through a free and uncompromised press, for example. In this regard it is good that the Sunday Times has opened the debate on who should succeed President Thabo Mbeki.

Threats against the judicial arm of government, as the ANC had implicitly issued at he weekend, place democracy in peril. The judicial arm exists to safeguard the rights of people against abuse by the powerful, and by fellow citizens. It forms part of the system of checks and balances against the government itself. For a party to threaten any arm of government smacks of interference in the separation of power - something held dearly in a democracy. Such interference seems entirely inappropriate.

One of the realities of democracy is of course that political parties are private clubs that formulate ideas and designs for the public good within that realm. Within their own ranks they test ideas and acumen for governance and accordingly decide which party candidates are to go into government and in what position or capacity. This is legitimate.

But the private club, the party, deals with public money and public issues. And in this context it is imperative that voices outside the private club are heard and considered. It would be unwise of any party to put forward a candidate who may be rejected by the people.

Despite the nature of political parties with their self-interest and penchant for personal power for leaders, the debate of who is to succeed Mbeki is not a private affair.

The private party does understandably vie for spoils of the political. This however is not the primary purpose of government in a democracy. Instead, its main purpose is to serve the public good.

Loyalty to any private elite should therefore not take precedence over the "life, liberty and pursuit of happiness" of the common people.

After all, in a democracy the people should not be loyal to the private club; the private club (political party) should be loyal to the people.