Goa, Oct. 8 -- JOSE MARIA MIRANDA

As Assembly elec tions in Goa are just a few months away, the voter is, once again, apprehensive of whether the vote will go to the right candidate or to a possible traitor. In over five decades of having been a voter, I cannot recall having ever exercised my franchise confident that I was not be ing cheated, except in the last Parliamentary elec tions. Such is the dearth of candidates with integrity, honesty and competence in our small Goa.

Ever since we joined this so-called world's largest democracy and we discov ered the source of eter nal wealth in politics, we turned the otherwise wor thy occupation of serving the people and improving their lot, into a profession of scoundrels and greedy monsters,...