Arab uprisings bring home the value of democracy

If the scenes in Egypt, Libya and Bahrain send any message to people in Ireland, it must surely be the value and worth of democracy. People across parts of the Arab world are risking life and limb to secure wider democratic rights - and to cast off the yoke of dictatorship. They are rising up against regimes and power blocs which have controlled their countries for decades and in so doing to have served to highlight how precious basic democratic rights, such as the right to vote in free and fair elections, are. Here in Ireland, the centenary of the start of our own fight for democratic freedom will be commemorated in five years' time, no doubt with much fanfare and rhetoric. But if we are to do real service to the memory of those who fought for Irish freedom, we must re-engage with the democratic process in this country. The right to elect our own sovereign government was hard won in Ireland - and we treat it with carefree abandon at our peril. On Friday next, Ireland goes to the polls. We encourage all readers to take note of the experiences across the Middle East and exercise their right to vote. Even if there are no candidates whom you feel are worthy of your vote, then there is always the option of a spoilt vote. Yes, there are huge democratic deficits in this country. The whip system which is in operation in the Dáil means that TDs often represent their parties, rather than the people who elect them. Our elections are also too infrequent - and there is no ability for aggrieved constituents to unseat a representative who has reneged on pledges or election commitments. However, despite all this, it's vital that people don't sit at home and treat the entire process as pointless. Early indications suggest there is no ground-breaking shift in the political sands in Ireland. The electorate seems, based on all the opinion polls, to be seeking modest change rather than a radical shake-up in the composition of our Dáil. There is no left/right division - no shift to the extreme right, or extreme left. But that is not to underestimate how changed the next Dáil could be. We could see Fianna Fáil lose over half of their seats - and we could see Fine Gael close to an overall majority. The Westmeath Independent has a tradition of not advising readers on how to vote. We believe our readers and the constituents in Longford/Westmeath are perfectly capable of making up their own minds. This election, more than any other in recent times, has been fought out on policies, rather than personalities. There has been ongoing debate and discussion on key issues such as the EU/IMF bailout, job creation and political reform since the bottom fell out of our economy a number of years ago. However, for those who have not yet made up their minds, or require a refresher, this week we publish the responses of all 15 candidates in Longford/Westmeath to the key questions this election. Readers can compare and contrast the various responses of the parties and the individuals. In Roscommon/South Leitrim, eight of the ten candidates replied to our questionnaires. We have also interviewed all of the local candidates in both constituencies in recent weeks. Previous interviews are available on our website. This time there is no real excuse for not voting.