In less than a month’s time most of us will be voting in the referendum on hunting in spring.

Perhaps very few people have realised the importance of this referendum. In an election the electorate votes for its favourite party’s programme in general. However, there might be one or two items in the manifesto which may not be to a voter’s liking.

A referendum will give those people who voted for the party the ability to modify its programme and eliminate the offending chapter or to introduce new measures. A referendum gives certain rights to the people whereas otherwise they would have to accept the party’s manifesto as a whole.

Now in the forthcoming referendum everyone should bear in mind that this is not a political race. In fact it is preferable if politicians keep a low profile and let the people decide without thinking they are voting for one party or the other.

It must be kept in mind when voting that, if the decision goes against the hunters, they will lose only two or three weeks of hunting in spring. They will still be able to shoot birds during the five winter months starting from September.

Voting is important since it is not often that the electorate gets a chance to decide on just one item in a party’s electoral programme. A referendum will strengthen our country’s democracy and will give power to the people.