Dear Sir,

Please allow me space in your paper to ask a question that I know a number of voters have on their mind.

When voters go to the polls, they are voting for the person they feel has the skills and knowledge to make decisions that are in the best interest of the country (Bermuda). Before an election, prospective candidates inform the electorate about their views by canvassing door-to-door, attending town hall meetings and taking part in interviews.

My question is this, how is that a person who is not elected by the people (electorate) in a General Election or by-election is allowed to become a minister? I would have thought that only individuals who are elected by the voters in a General Election or by-election would be eligible.

If there’s a legislative loophole, I would like to suggest that the loophole be closed through a legislative amendment.

All it would take is one simple sentence: “Only individuals who have been elected in a General Election or by-election can become a minister with portfolio or minister without portfolio”.

The reason why the present practice or legislation needs to change is simple: when voters go to the polls, they are voting for a candidate they have seen; a candidate who has expressed their views on topics; a candidate they know. The electorate is not voting for a surrogate to run their country, so I find it very disconcerting to have someone who has not put himself or herself forward as a candidate, thereby allowing the electorate to vet them, become a minister with a portfolio that allows him or her to reshape and/or change the direction of a country.

Is such a person really representative of the people if they have not been voted in by the people?

So, to be clear, what I am suggesting is that only individuals who are elected by the electorate in a General Election or by-election should be eligible to become ministers, with or without a portfolio.

ANTHONY BAILEY