By Elishya Perera
DETROIT, Michigan, USA (CWBN)_As Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden delivered brief remarks following the election, claiming that “it ain’t over until every vote is counted”, President Donald Trump says that the attempts to tally all ballots amounted to disenfranchising his supporters.
Speaking from the White House early Wednesday, President Trump insisted that “all voting must stop” and has threatened to sue his way to the presidency.
Following distasteful campaigns, much chaos and disarray, which disfigured the standing of the US democratic system overseas, the sight of the American President openly seeking to delegitimise the vote was greeted with horror in many countries.
Speaking yesterday, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said it was important for every vote to be counted, while Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer observed that the US faced a “very explosive situation” and the election was undergoing a “battle over the legitimacy of the result”.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Boris Johnson refused to comment on the election, insisting that the UK government does not comment on the “democratic processes of our friends and allies”.
However, Jeremy Hunt, former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in the UK told BBC that “a huge argument about process” would “put a smile on the face of people like President Putin and President Xi who will look at their own people and say ‘are you not pleased we have not got any of this mess?’ and that would be an absolute disaster”.
“The reputation of democracy across the world is at stake here”, Hunt added.
Following the elections on Tuesday, Russian state-run broadcaster RT described the US as “battered and divided,” and claimed that “the affair paints a grim picture for American democracy”.
Meanwhile, Beijing echoed the opinion of Russia, as a nationalist state-owned tabloid, The Global Times, published a piece on Wednesday noting that “deep-seated divisions in US contradict democratic values”.
For years, the United States has been considered a “beacon” for those who sought freedom and democratic rights, as Washington continues to insist that the rest of the word to show commitment to the democratic process and the rule of law. However, it appears that this year’s election may have a lasting impact on this notion.
