Dear Editor:

We are privileged to live in a democratic country; however, democracy works best when everyone participates, keeping in mind that the objective is to elect representatives who will have the best interests of the country at heart and who have sufficient qualifications to, in consultation with each other, make decisions that promote the well-being and progress of the majority of its citizens.

Voting carries with it the responsibility of getting to know the issues at hand and the candidates in one’s riding to make an informed decision that one feels will best represent the constituency. One should be seeking more than knowledge and experience; one should be looking for good character. There should be a sense of service in a candidate’s approach to the position they will be undertaking.. One’s vote should be a positive decision to support the person who most closely fits one’s measures of qualification.

If each of us applies ourselves with honesty, integrity, and a sense of responsibility for making a decision that will affect the entire country, perhaps we will achieve a government that will work for the majority of us. It is a tall order because it requires universal participation, even though the mechanism by which the results are measured is somewhat faulty.

Shizu E. M. Futa

Invermere