Commentary
By Venkatesh Raghavan
US Presidential poll outcome spills into ugly spats
Vandalism besides theft marred the reputation of the United States that in-so-far had the image of being an advanced, sophisticated and vibrant democracy in the eyes of the world. Besides theft of artefacts from the Senate building at Capitol region, there was also indiscriminate violence and destruction caused to property in the precincts. This sort of hooliganism or mockery of democratic values used to be associated with third-world countries that are burdened with a huge chunk of illiterate and semi-literate people.
For example, closer home, in India people might recall hurling of shoes and tossing of chairs in parliament house when the debate or discussion hots up and tempers get frayed. This however, never spilt over to the streets, making people react violently or for that matter indulging in destruction or theft of public property. Sadly, such was the instance Americans were faced with on January 6, which after every presidential poll, is regarded as a mere formality to officially accept the people’s mandate over their president-elect.
Initially, when the outgoing President Donald Trump protested over the results and sought a judicial intervention, there were people who pointed out that even traditional Republican pockets like Arizona had gone in favour of the Democrats. This situation called for an investigation or probe on the possible manipulation of the machinery used for facilitating enumeration and validation of votes cast in such electoral colleges. There were strong sentiments on both sides, namely Joe Biden’s Democrat team and the pro-Trump band that sought redressal to “alleged rigging”.
Protests are hallmark of vibrant democracies but it goes beyond imagination when a US President, who lost in the election and is about to go in two weeks’ time, gathers his supporters and vows to “never concede” and exhort them to march to the Capitol! There does expose some serious flaws in the American election system.
When things turned violent in the morning hours of Wednesday, when the formal declaration of the president-elect had to be ratified, even leaders from the Republican Party, including former President, George W Bush junior expressed their distress over the state of affairs and bemoaned that the American democracy should not have been allowed to plunge to such depths.
Official sentiments pouring in from India too took a somewhat similar line. For the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is known to be a pro-Trump campaigner during the build up to the presidential race. He too, like the former American President, expressed shock and grief at the violence. Modi in his Twitter handle on Thursday morning said, “Distressed to see news about rioting and violence in Washington DC. Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue. The democratic process cannot be allowed to be subverted through unlawful protests.”
Now taking a look at local sentiments that include the law-enforcing authorities and former top cops in Washington DC, the views expressed were equally scathing. Violent protests witnessed by the Capitol region in wake of pro-Trump protestors taking law into their hands, was deplored by senior police personnel who said the Capitol grounds should have been cordoned off in anticipation much before the incident took place. Former US top cop at Washington DC, Charles Ramsey said that the unpreparedness witnessed during the violence that was unleashed by Trump supporters was inexcusable.
A spate of resignations followed the unprecedented violence that precipitated on Capitol region. These include Melania Trump’s chief of staff Stephanie Grisham, White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews, and White House social secretary Rickie Niceta. Senior office bearers from the law enforcing body pointed out that the protestors should have been restricted to a designated safe zone and the vandalisation of the building that transpired could have averted.
Meanwhile, protests were reported from state capitals in the United States, opposing the electoral mandate that went in favour of President elect Joe Biden, who was the Democrat nominee for the Presidential polls. They held placards that screamed in bold capital, “STOP THE STEAL”. There were also others that sought Trump’s second term in the presidential office, stating, “Four more years.” The protests in state capitals however, were by and large peaceful barring a few minor incidents like pepper spray. The police across the states did conduct a few arrests.
Barring a woman who happened to be an ardent pro-Trump protestor, there were no casualties reported as a result of the violent scuffle. Two other deaths did take place in the Capitol region. The police however, did not link it with the violence that erupted at the site. The House and Senate had a two-hour long debate when the counting of votes in the Pennsylvania electoral college attracted objection from the Republicans. Subsequently the House and Senate had to be evacuated by the police due to vandalising by violent protest groups.
The act of protestors storming into the building and forcing a halt of its proceedings by violent means was described as an act of insurrection by American President-elect, Joe Biden. Condemning it strongly and terming it a seditious act, Biden sought prompt punitive response to those responsible for the violent eruption. The results that were in favour of Joe Biden in the Arizona electoral college were ratified by the senate and the challenge to the verdict was set aside.
