VICTOR ALKSNIS: US DEMOCRACY SUFFERING GREEN SICKNESS - 13 November, 2000

Who was not amused at the recent statement by V.Mitrofanov, a member of the LDPR faction in the State Duma, to delegate Duma observers to the presidential election in America? All they did was to laugh. Russia was represented only by the chairman of the Central Election Commission A.Vishnyakov, who was there as a guest of honour rather than an observer. But they were wrong laughing, after all. The stronghold of democracy has demonstrated such a pack of "black technologies", that all over the world they are now scratching their heads. In the USA, such a thing, they say, has not occurred for forty years, that several days after the election the country was still unaware of the name of its president.

That is why you see in quite a different light the statement just circulated by the State Duma independent deputy V.Alksnis, which, at first sight, looks like an April Fools' Day trick. But Mr. Alksnis is earnest in reminding about his colleagues' recent fears of possible falsification of the election in the USA. At that time in the Duma a draft resolution was verbally put forward about the threat to democracy in the USA, but it was "gored" — they did not even put it on vote. But today, according to the author of the statement, delay in announcing the results of the election testifies to behind-the-scenes machinations in the interests of one of the candidates. Who exactly? Obviously, Vice-President A.Gore, since, as the MP claims, "the forces which have been in power in the USA for the last eight years, intend to retain in any way the presidential office". And this is already an evidence of totalitarian trends possibly getting stronger in the country's home policy. Everybody still remembers Clinton having declared the USA to be the architect of a new world order called upon to administer justice at its own discretion at any continent of the globe. And his words agreed with his deeds. Bombings of Iraq and Yugoslavia are just another confirmation of it.

Earnestly speaking, you begin to ask yourself a question: why is it, as a matter of fact, that, contrary to international practices imposed upon us by the same Americans, there were no observers from UN member countries when the American people were expressing their will? Why double standards? Can we then speak in general about the US presidential election being fair and free? Besides, as it turns out, there was something wrong with the ballot papers when the people were confused and put a tick not opposite the candidate to their liking but the other way round. At this point you cannot but remember that the White House administration, having adopted the pose of a strict judge, declared the elections in Byelorussia undemocratic even before they began and did not recognise at all the elections held in Yugoslavia. To be more exact, it just declared Kostunica the winner.

It is hardly possible that on the bank of the Potomac river they will cancel the results of the election and set a new one — under international supervision as Victor Alksnis suggests. Even more unrealistic is his proposal that, in case of refusal, the world community should apply economic sanctions against the USA and suspend its membership in the UN. But one should agree that, after what has happened, the disgraced America has totally lost a moral right not only to act as an arbitrator in international affairs but also to regard itself as a citadel of democracy.

Alexander GOLOVENKO PRAVDA.Ru