Your leader, Democratic institutions (May 3), refers.

In President Mbeki’s online letter of May 12-18, he denies undercutting the power of Parliament. His evidence? That when he was deputy president, he answered Parliament’s questions on behalf of Nelson Mandela, and now that he is president, he does not give eight hours of questions in Parliament a year to his deputy.

Further evidence? He “is obliged to interact with the National Assembly on two other occasions”. This is the truth, but not the whole truth.

The proportional list system has drained power from constituencies. Floor-crossing and patronage have moved power to the majority party.

Parliamentary oversight disappeared when Gavin Woods was mauled and the standing committee on public accountants chair hijacked over the arms deal.

Appointments based on personal loyalty in every position in the judiciary, legislature and parastatals centralise power around one person in the office of the presidency.

The letter begins with the president writing that he always tells the truth and “his opponents” always lie. Ugly stuff!

Richard Nixon was reputedly the smartest US president, but his treatment of power and the media made him its most despised. If our president wants us to trust him, he needs to trust the media with the truth.

This will decide if history remembers him as a spiteful totalitarian or gifted leader.