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The democratic principle is realized with much greater consistency than in parliamentary democracy, for each believer who is of age can not only vote but is also actually-- not only in theory-- eligible for election. The votes and deliberations of these institutions are religious acts. They must take place in a spirit of prayer. All election campaigning, propaganda, electoral lists, election proposals, arrangements and candidatures, all party-forming, and therefore all compulsion coming from a party, in short, every attempt to influence the election and manipulate the consultative and voting processes are strictly condemned. This is not only because these conventions which poison all political life are contrary to the spirit of prayer, to the atmosphere of spiritual purity, humility and selflessness in which both election and consultation must take place, but above all because through them the believer's right to do only what prayer has inspired him to do would be impaired and the theocratic principle which is the basis of Baha'u'llah's order would be neglected.
(48:1)
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