How to abuse a Referendum

Citizens of the UK at present get a master class demonstrating how a potential referendum can be abused and become a political football. One party 'promises' to hold a referendum about the country's future relationship with the EU if it gets re-elected in the next general election due in 2015. The other party claims that it will hold the same referendum - but only if the EU wants to take more powers away from the British government. In both cases these promises are not worth the paper they are written on. There is no legal requirement for any party - in the UK or any other 'mature' democracy - to fulfil election promises.
In any case the referendum is merely being used under duress and used as just another trick to gain the unadulterated power that each party machine craves.

If politicians honestly want to return power to the citizens (or as they always claim: 'Listen to the People') they would regularly consult the referendum and introduce it as binding requirement when any significant political decision is made.

Erdogan may ban Facebook and YouTube

Nothing demonstrates better the need for Direct Democracy in the fight against overbearing politicians than this headline. In a properly functioning Democracy statements like this would not pose a real threat as the ban could only be implemented after a lengthy legislative process. Ultimately there might have to be a referendum where a qualified majority of citizens would have to agree to the proposed legislation. So wannabe dictators of all persuasions or just politicians with an exaggerated sense of self-importance would quickly put in their place - or removed from the political scene.