Editor:

One is quite amazed, by the number of letters recently published in the Chilliwack Times regarding Mark Strahl's lack of concern for the wishes of his constituents, at the lack understanding for our form of 'democracy.'

The party that obtains sufficient in seats to achieve a majority in parliament forms the government. The general electorate has no say in who the leader of that party, or any other party for that matter, will be, and, therefore, little or no say in who will become the country's Prime Minister, nor do they have any further say in the running of the country. One vote every four or five years does not a real democracy make.

Once a party achieves an overall majority of seats in the house, the Prime Minister pretty much assumes the powers of an autocrat, one might say a tsar. Individual MPs, particularly backbenchers, who are at all interested in obtaining some of the more attractive and lucrative perks of office, do exactly as they are instructed. Failure to comply with the leader's commands can bring severe retribution.

To expect Mark Stahl to concern himself with the wishes of his constituents, should those wishes be even remotely at odds with those of his tsar, is both foolhardy and lacking in understanding of our democracy.

Colin Genders Chilliwack