Two other issues
raised by you also deserve attention. Direct election of the main institutions
of a society can hardly be regarded as a significant democratic principle. In
the United States of America, for example, the president is elected by an
electoral college of individuals chosen in state elections. In some other
countries the president is elected by the parliament, not by the people. However,
whether direct election is a democratic principle or not, it cannot be applied
in the Bahá’í Faith because it is stated in the Sacred Writings that the
Universal House of Justice must be elected in a three-stage election and
National Spiritual Assemblies must be the outcome of a two-stage election.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter dated 18 July 2000 written on behalf of the Universal House of
Justice to an individual believer)
