Sir, – The presidential election has highlighted to me a serious, archaic flaw in our electoral system. I’m a resident, registered voter, yet I’m legally prohibited from voting.

On election day, I’ll be one of a group of 11 eligible voters touring in a music show across Germany. We join the tens of thousands of resident, registered voters abroad on election day who are disenfranchised.

Millions more eligible citizens are disenfranchised because they live abroad. Even returning emigrants who arrive after October 24th have no say on who their next president will be.

My touring colleagues and I are representing our nation, showcasing the best of Irish culture to thousands of people across Germany.

Yet, in doing so, we are stripped of our right to vote. Germany is among the vast majority of democratic nations who have provisions for overseas voting, I wonder what their citizens would make of our disenfranchisement?

This all leads to the question, how democratic are our elections when millions of eligible voters cannot exercise their legal right to vote? – Yours, etc,

DAVE FLYNN,

Composer and musician,

77 Camden Street Lower,

Dublin 2.

Connolly and Germany

Sir, – We are lucky to have intellectuals with “largesse d’esprit” to correct pre-conceived stereotypes of other nationalities and remind us of important facts.

Having lived in Germany for 12 years, I was shocked to hear a potential president of Ireland referring to the increase in military spending in Germany as having 1930s fascist overtones.

I also find the insular attitude of some people alluding to “Europe” as something apart from Ireland antediluvian.

Thank you, Fintan. – Yours, etc,

MUIREANN NÍ CHINNÉIDE,

Dún Laoghaire,

Dublin.

Sir, – I read Fintan O, Toole’s article with interest (“Catherine Connolly should keep her inner Basil Fawlty under wraps”, September 30th).

He fails to take into account they are human beings with hum