Seeing

Despite the heavy rain; the presiding officer at Polling Station 14 finds it odd that by midday on National Election day; only a handful of voters have turned out. Puzzlement swiftly escalates to shock when eventually; after an extension; the final count reveals seventy per cent of the votes are blank - not spoiled; simply blank. National law decrees the election should be repeated eight days later. The result is worse; eighty-three per cent of the votes are blank. The incumbent government receives eight per cent and the opposition even less. The authorities; seized with panic; decamp from the capital and place it under a state of emergency. In his new novel; Jose Saramago has deftly created the politician's ultimate nightmare: disillusionment not with one party; but with all; thereby rendering the entire democratic system useless. Seeing explores how simply this could be achieved and how devastating the results might be.