The holding of elections is an important event which arouses keen interest at a national level, sometimes even in other countries. Their outcome may, for many people, prompt several hopes or fears.

An essential feature of self-government is the election of the representatives of the people, but without the pluralistic party system upholding our Constitution is unthinkable.

Citizens with the right to vote exercise a choice between two or more parties, which in their electoral programme promise to do, or undo, certain things. The voters put into office the party which promises to carry out the things they prefer. If the party in government fails to keep its promises, citizens wait till the next election, and then, use their vote to make a change by placing the responsibility of government in the hands of a different political party.

Parliamentary elections, wherever and whenever they take place, may be viewed from three different perspectives: that of the candidates, who leave no stone unturned to gather votes and get elected; the voters, who decide the future of their country; and the electoral commission, which is entrusted with the smooth and fair running of the whole process according to the Constitutional norms.

The candidates have to learn electoral tactics some way or other, either through their own experience or by observing certain manoevres.

They do not necessarily have to heed the warning given by Machiavelli in his book The Prince, that "A ruler will perish, if he is always good, he must be as cunning as a fox and as fierce as a lion". But the candidate and his aggregates in the electoral campaign may be tempted to agree with the Renaissance author's remark that, "It is necessary to be able to disguise (one's) character well and to be a great feigner and dissembler. Men are so simple and so ready to obey present necessities, that one who deceives will always find those who allow themselves to be deceived". Though it must be said that such base behaviour has often misfired, being as it is very unethical, and wholly irreconcilable with a Christian conscience. 'Honesty is the best policy' may well yield rewards in the electoral process.

For the enfranchised, the act of voting, besides being a right and duty, calls for certain requisites.

In the first place, voting should be understood to be an act involving an expenditure of energy and time, together with a certain concentration of the mind. Secondly, voting requires a decision, which means a positive commitment to one side or the other. In some cases, this commitment is related more to individuals than to political parties.

Besides, the voting decision implies a certain relevance to society, an awareness of surroundings, by watching or listening to the news on radio, TV, or attending meetings. Finally, the voting act amounts to an implicit affirmation that democracy is not a sham: Votes are counted, and they do make a difference in the direction the nation may take in future.

When discussing the reasons for electoral participation, it is worth noticing that for some people, voting is a purely conventional and emotionally neutral activity, for others it is an important civic duty, to be fulfilled with a deep sense of responsibility, while still for others, it represents a means for a desired political end, perhaps also a good opportunity to feather their own nest.

Political analysts, very earnestly, try to find out which motives swayed the trend of the electoral process and the choices of voters. They enquire whether it was down to the policies, as explained in the party electoral programme, or to the personality of the candidates.

No one rule applies for each and every voter. However, it may be said, with a narrow margin of error, that both the party policies and the personality of the candidates are factors which influence the decision of most voters.

Time and again, voters have been warned that it is not enough to critically examine policies or electoral programmes. The personality of the candidate should not be overlooked. His popularity, which may entice voters, is a good asset for the candidate himself and for the party to which he belongs, though it is not necessarily a guarantee of his honesty, probity and competence.

For the conscientious citizen, voting is not a trivial matter, but a decision to be taken after much thought, with a clear motivation, and with due consideration for the common good of the country.

Since the Second World War, democracy has been flaunted as an infallible panacea for every social malaise. This may have an element of truth, provided that the elections for the people's representatives are carried out with fairness and transparency.

However, it has happened, more than once, even in some countries that boast about their democratic freedom, that elections have been rigged or left open to abuse. How free and fair the electoral process has been is often a timely question to be asked, before and after the publication of the outcome of the election.

It is a parrot's secret to say that the electoral commission, as the guardian of democratic requirements, should spare no effort to control in minute detail all the proceedings in order to make sure that everything has taken place regularly and that there is no foul play.

There is no deficit of hope and trust for the approaching general election. Candidates and voters alike have great expectations and everyone in his own way is entertaining high hopes that as a result of this electoral process, the tide will turn in favour of himself or of his party.