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News > U.S.

Democracy at Work or a Spectacle?: World Reacts to US Elections

  • People march to demand every vote is counted as election results increasingly indicate Joe Biden is on the cusp of the US Presidency, near the White House in Washington, DC, USA.

    People march to demand every vote is counted as election results increasingly indicate Joe Biden is on the cusp of the US Presidency, near the White House in Washington, DC, USA. | Photo: EFE

Published 6 November 2020
Opinion

While Iran has mocked the ongoing elections, countries like Turkey, France, and China have struck a more conciliatory tone.

The 2020 US elections have entered their fourth day without an official winner as vote counting continues to determine who will be the next president. The race between Republican President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden is too close to call, with razor-thin margins separating the two individuals. 

RELATED:

Biden Widens Lead Over Trump in Key Battleground Pennsylvania

In the last few hours, several key states have shown a pro-Biden tendency as more votes are being counted, such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Nevada. With only six electoral votes to reach the 270 needed, a Biden victory is only a question of time.

Incumbent Trump has alleged widespread “fraud” is taking place, courting controversy from across the American political and media spectrum, as well as foreign leaders and diplomats. As he made a TV appearance last night, several mainstream media outlets cut short his speech due to a misleading representation of facts.

Here is how leaders across the globe have reacted to the United States elections:

Iran
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has mocked the rancorous aftermath of Election Day in the US, saying the vote has exposed the reality of its democracy.

“What a spectacle!” Khamenei tweeted late on Wednesday. “One says this is the most fraudulent election in US history. Who says that? The president who is currently in office.”

China
On Thursday, vice foreign minister Le Yucheng said, “despite disagreements between the two countries,” there were “common interests and space for cooperation.”

“Sustaining and moving forward a healthy and stable China-U. S. relationship is in line with the fundamental interests of the two peoples,” the minister said at the 20th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Bejing.

Russia
The Kremlin has issued concerns over the process.

“Any uncertainty in the most powerful world economy, in one of the largest countries, has and could potentially have negative consequences for global affairs,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: “Obvious shortcomings of the American electoral system are evident … partly due to the archaic nature of the relevant legislation and the lack of regulation in a number of fundamental points.”

 

Turkey
Turkey is ready to work with whoever wins the US election, Turkey’s foreign minister said on Friday, despite a friendship with Trump that has helped the two countries through turbulent times. “Regardless of which candidate takes office in the US, we will pursue a sincere approach to improve our relations,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

Britain
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he has confidence in the US election process after Trump and his allies have repeatedly made unsubstantiated fraudulent claims following Tuesday’s presidential vote. “I have every confidence in the checks and balances of the American Constitution,” Johnson told reporters Friday Johnson declined to comment on what a US administration led by Biden would mean for Britain. 

Germany
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Friday the US is more than a one-man show, and good losers are more important for democracy than great winners, in an interview with the Funke media group.

“The USA is more than a one-man show. Those who continue to add fuel to the fire in the current situation are acting irresponsibly,” Maas said.

Brazil
President Jair Bolsonaro said Wednesday he hoped Donald Trump would come out ahead in the down-to-the-wire US election, lashing out at Democratic contender Joe Biden’s comments on protecting the Amazon rainforest.

“You know where I stand; I’ve been clear. I have a good relationship with Trump. I hope he’ll be reelected,” Bolsonaro told supporters outside the presidential palace in Brasilia.

Zimbabwe
The ruling ZANU-PF party’s spokesman, Patrick Chinamasa, said: “We have nothing to learn about democracy from former slave owners.”


 

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