Going to the polls - Cast a vote, it is a duty

There is little excuse for eligible voters not fulfilling their democratic duty in casting their ballots today in both the presidential election and the two constitutional referenda. Even for those who might prefer that some other presidential candidate were on the ballot paper today, those voters still have a choice of seven candidates.

This is the largest number of candidates in the country’s history, two more than the previous record — the five candidates who contested the presidential election in 1997. Voting is not only a right that should be treasured; it is also a responsibility.

The entitlement to vote seems to be most appreciated by those who at some time have been denied that right. Throughout what has been called the Arab Spring, there have been revolutions in one Arab country after another demanding democracy.