political advertising, a visitor would hardly know that the Island is facing a General Election. But Bermuda is facing an election and a very important election at that.

Let us say that in our view some of the recent advertising has been distasteful and unnecessary in a place where people are very well informed about politics and politicians, and probably counter productive for those placing the ads.

The main election question is WHEN? To be open about it, this newspaper is out of suggestions and predictions and is giving up on the guessing game. Choosing the date is, of course, for the Premier alone to decide. If she is like politicians elsewhere in the Westminster system, she will go when she thinks the time best for her party and she will not go without extensive consultation and not without the advice that she has a good chance of winning.

It has been suggested that Bermuda should have a fixed General Election date of every five years or so but that is not the way the Westminster system works. There are many perks to being in power and one of them is the opportunity to "set the date''. If Bermuda had a fixed date it would be in danger of following the United States which stops for more than a year every four years in order to elect or reelect a President. No one would want that kind of debilitating politics.

However there are some handicaps involved in "setting the date'', not the least of which is public frustration with a political campaign. More and more in the last few weeks we have heard people say: "Let's get on with it.'' The voters know that the unofficial campaign is underway and they know that they have yet to undergo at least three weeks of set election time, or longer if the Premier chooses. They are also getting tired of seemingly endless polls.

Large numbers of the voters already know how they will vote and for whom and are not going to change their minds no matter what. Even many of those who tell pollsters that they are "undecided'' or "don't know'' have already made up their minds but exercise their right not to say.

In recent years in Bermuda election campaigns have been for a very small number of people. This election is no different. The independent polls are demonstrating that, once again, the vote will be very close and will rest on two or three volatile marginal constituencies.

The important thing is that the election calm we are enjoying now should continue through the election and after. There have been suggestions, first in the broadcast media and then in this newspaper, that there might be some attempt at disruption and we can only say that violence always turns out to be counter productive. The result is almost always the opposite of that sought.

Bermuda has a long history of quiet elections under party politics and that is the way it should be. No matter what the result, the people will have spoken in a democratic way. That is as it should be and that is as it should be accepted.