It's little wonder fewer people are voting

WE'VE tried democracy - now what? Whether in Britain, Romania, Afghanistan or the US, the majority of electors are choosing not to vote.

The potential representatives are too self-interested, corrupt or hypocritical to be feasible.

Apart from Venezuela and Bolivia, the exercise of elections has collapsed. In most of east Europe, as few as one in five people are using their votes.

They have recognised that the chosen govern for and by economic, military or religious elites. With the large majority worse off than in communist times, they either reject the process or long for the return of one party but more beneficial rule.

Now ex-royals, aristocrats and mafia swoop back to claim property annexed by ancestors.

In Romania, the German-Austrian royals were given vast areas of land, palaces and public treasures before they fled to live in luxury in sympathetic countries, perhaps in thanks for their ruthless control and exploitation. The latest has been given Bran Castle near Brasov. May the other ruthless ruler Drac's ghost haunt him and his hangers-on.

Ion Cuza was a reasonable ruler in the mid-19th century, but he was disadvantaged - he was Romanian. Then as now, privileged foreigners were more skilful exploiters.

ALAN GORST Brasov, Romania