during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on
November 5, 2020.
As the United States conducts the election to choose its
president for another four years, the past challenges witnessed in
Africa and developing countries are evolving in the
poll.
This is according to Mr Isaac Albert, a professor of African
History, Peace, and Conflict Studies, while analysing the election
on Thursday on Sunrise Daily.
“What we are witnessing, to me as a professor, is to say that
students of electoral democracy should begin to question existing
literature on electoral democracy because the impression initially
created is that America is a citadel of democracy,” he said during
his appearance on the Channels Television breakfast
show.
Professor Albert added, “But all the past problems that we have
witnessed in Africa and in the developing countries of the world
are unfolding in America – election violence, the use of unhealthy
languages by the candidates, misuse of social media; all these are
unfolding in this election.”
results counted as of 9am on November 5, 2020. Source: The
Associated Press.
On the latest developments in the poll, he believes the people’s
power is at play, saying what is unfolding is that electoral
democracy has to do with the people.
Several Problems?
The don stated that three important credibility factors –
personal credibility of the candidate, procedural credibility, and
credibility of the institutions – were important for a democracy to
work in any country.
He noted that there were “several problems” with the U.S.
elections, decrying a situation where a president was questioning
the processes in his country on the production of leaders.
All the past problems we are witnessing in
Africa and the developing world are unfolding in America – Isaac
Albert, Prof of African History#Sunrisedaily#CTVlivetweets
pic.twitter.com/feqTXeNCFz
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});— Channels Television (@channelstv) November 5, 2020
Professor Albert said, “This is the first time one will be
witnessing a president actually challenging the process, even
before the results are declared.
“President Trump is asking for recounting of the ballots in some
states, he is asking that the counting of the ballots should even
stop in some states, and he is preparing to go to court for results
that have not been declared.”
“So, in other words, he is questioning a process that might even
make him a president because he could win at the end of the day. I
think this is of deep interest to us,” the don added.
The US Elections Project estimated total turnout at a record 160
million, including more than 101.1 million early voters, 65.2
million of whom cast ballots by mail amid the COVID-19
pandemic.
Of the votes counted as of 9am on Thursday, Democratic Party
presidential candidate, Joe Biden takes the lead with 72,102,585 –
representing 50.4 per cent of the total votes.
polling place in Dennis Wilkening’s shed on November 3, 2020, in
Richland, Iowa. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP.
On the other hand, U.S. President Donald Trump, who is
contesting on the platform of the Republican Party, has 68,637,070
votes – representing 48 per cent of the total ballots.
So far, both Biden and Trump have 264 and 214 electoral votes
respectively, and a candidate is expected to have a minimum of 270
electoral votes to be declared the winner of the election.
While the Democratic Party candidate and his supporters are
anticipating victory, the Republican Party candidate and his camp
seek to challenge the results before the polls are concluded.