Democracy Under Attack in U.S.

Democracy, a widely practiced governance system with the United States being the progenitor, appears to be choked in the neck with the resistance put forth by defeated President Donald Trump not to concede defeat to allow the will of the people to prevail.

Since the 2020 election in which former Vice President Joe Biden won, President Trump has challenged and contended that he was cheated.  However, President Trump according to US media has failed to provide any substantial proof of his claims of cheating and vote stealing.

Without the first thought of concession of defeat, President Trump has failed to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden and, he and hundreds of his supporters on yesterday disrupted activities in the Senate in protest against inauguration of the new President of the United States.

According to the BBC, the disruptions and street protests have left a woman dead and a curfew imposed in Washington DC.  ABC news has it that Trump’s supporters clashed with the police and Speaker Nancy Pelosi had asked for the intervention of the National Guard at the Capitol.  Security forces in the fracas reportedly discovered explosive devices at the Capitol but could not harm anyone.

President Trump in his twitter account has asked his Vice President Mike Pence who is to preside over the counting of the votes in the Senate to annul the election results that gave victory to Biden.

However, under the US Law, the Vice President has no legal authority to declare Biden’s victory invalid according to the BBC.

In the United States, electors, based on the results in each state — officially decide who is to be the next President.  Congress began the process yesterday to count the electoral votes and confirm the nomination of President-elect Bide, and as a custom, this process usually takes place without controversy, but President Trump and his supporters turned the entire process sour yesterday when they stormed the Senate to dispute the election results on what US media call “Unsubstantiated” claims.  

On the request for the US Vice President to declare the result invalid, Pence said he has no legal authority to do so; a response that will end the two highest officials’ relationship at loggerhead as they soon leave their respective offices.

The unfolding fracas in the US democratic system sparked up Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican to say:  “What happened here today was an insurrection incited by the President.”

United States is the main proponent of Democracy in the world, a government by the people, for the people and of the people.  The US in its quest to see democracy practiced has always kept close watch on African countries including Liberia to conduct elections peacefully and threatening anyone group of people that will be responsible for violence to affect the electoral process.

With the unfolding development, it may be highly certain that United States stands to face criticisms from countries it has been guiding with power to ensure that they heed to the tenets of democracy.