The 1.4 billion Catholics in the world have got a new Pope. The papal conclave yesterday elected American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who is of South American descent, as the 267th Bishop of Rome (the Bishop of Rome is the Pope) and new leader of the Catholic Church.

Following a nearly 2000-year tradition of papal election, the new Pope Leo XIV was elected with a two-thirds majority. Even a religious organization understood the need for a two-thirds majority from the papal conclave of cardinals to ensure that the new pope has the support of the majority of its worldwide and far-flung members.

It is amazing that this tradition of a democratic election of a pope has survived this long since the apostolic age, after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The papal election process, as we know it, was more clearly defined and began in 1276. Prior to it, popes were chosen by consensus of the clergy and laity (church members).

It is remarkable that the democratic papal election process has continued to this day. While there were adjustments to the process over time, the election of the pope with a supermajority of two-thirds remains an entrenched rule to ensure a swift, stable and smooth transition to a new leadership.

It is an example that everyone — and, especially our own Members of Parliament — who believe in the democratic election of leaders should follow.

The point is not to follow the papal system of election, but to recognize that if we have chosen a system of government, which, in our case, is constitutional democracy, we practise it to ensure it becomes our historical tradition of forming a government.

It is through practise that the tradition is established. Deals made out of expediency only destroy the cultivation of the tradition or convention. Our MPs should practise our parliamentary democracy dictated by the constitution at all costs. MPs should listen to no other suggestion other than what is permitted by the constitution.

When MPs do not conform to the constitution it means, they do not care for the people because the constitution enshrines and protects the rights of the people.

So, if we have MPs who do not follow the constitution, the people must act to make them conform. There is only one way to handle errant MPs. Don’t elect them.