Green Party candidates Bill Belitskus and John Stith took part in a "meet the candidates" session last night and said that a vote for the Green Party would be a vote for democracy.

Belitskus, candidate for the 5th Congressional District seat, said the Green Party gives voters more choices during elections, and it is the only party that is truly inclusive.

"The Green Party includes all sexes, races and religions," Belitskus said during the session, held at Webster's Bookstore Café, 128 S. Allen St.

Stith, a candidate for the 77th State Representative District, said the Green Party wants to give students an interest in local elections. "We offer more choices in national, municipal and local elections," Stith said.

Belitskus said the party has been holding these sessions throughout the elections and even extended a challenge for his opposition, Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. John Peterson to join.

Peterson has yet to take part in the sessions, which give potential voters the opportunity to ask questions about each candidate's platforms.

When Belitskus contacted Peterson's campaign manager and asked why he chose not to participate, the response was blunt.

Belitskus said Peterson's campaign manager did not feel it would be to Peterson's advantage to attend one of these forums.

Asked how State College would be different if he were elected, Belitskus said he would advocate "official" public transit, and he would not look for money for additional highways.

Brian Hoskins (junior-political science), Belitskus' campaign manager, urged registered students to vote and to not let limits in choices keep them from participating.

"Vote for the hopes and not for the fears," Hoskins said. He feels that politics can affect voters as an individual regardless of their involvement.

Belitskus said the Green Party is the only party working on a comprehensive campaign finance reform plan.

"We need to get the soft money out of the system," said Belitskus, who is also a proponent of self-imposed term limits. If elected, he vowed to serve only up to two terms.

He said he is the only congressional candidate in Pennsylvania opposed to the missile defense system and the only one calling for a national moratorium on the death penalty.

"In Texas they are killing minorities (on death row) and later finding them to be innocent," he said.

"We're building a viable political party in the United States," said Belitskus, who feels that the next step for the party is to move forward.

"That's where I see the Green Party going after this race, and that's what I'm looking forward to," he said.