‘Weird’ is the word that at best could describe the delay in the transition to the US presidency following the elections on November 3, 2020. This is strange as it sounds if compared with the electoral processes in most of the modern democracies. Indeed, “The United States is almost alone among major democracies in taking so long to install a new head of the state.” “In France, the president takes office within ten days of the election. In the United Kingdom, the moving trucks arrive at 10 Downing Street the morning after the incumbent loses.” The time transition is taking in the United States, over two months, is perhaps second only in comparison to Mexico, where the transition lasts an arduous five months.
There is no sign of it happening soon with outgoing President Trump and his supporters having dug their heels in resisting the election outcome and transfer of power.
As a matter of fact, in nascent democracies like Pakistan, transfer is much quicker with no or little hassle or controversy.
While that being that and uncertainty rendering transfer treacherous, making the period more dangerous than ever mocking at the future of democracy. That being a subject for wider debate at the national level especially when delay is giving rise to a demand that the truant states not willing to transfer power, be disenfranchised. It seems that Trump’s resistance not only poses a threat to American democracy but also casts an aspersion on national security. The situation as such and the constitutional predicament is surely creating a legitimate case for the American legislators to rewrite the process of presidential transitions to make it sweat-free.
Joseph Biden’s election as the new US president opposed by the defeated Trump has shrouded the future of the most powerful office in an aura of uncertainty when smooth transition has a history of more than three hundred years of traditional sanctity. Instead of being a good omen for the future of the country, having suffered immensely at the hands of a quixotic president, this uncalled for delay has blocked the prioritizing of its vested interests above those of other nations. Pakistan that began its diplomatic career as the most trusted ally of the United States East of the Suez, had struggled hard to free itself from the stranglehold of the Cult of Trumpism as manifested in his orchestration of ‘do more’ mantra to blackmail Pakistan that only became lukewarm at the fag end of his presidency when Pakistan got the Taliban around to sit at a conference table with the United States.
The author is the former High Commissioner of Pakistan to UK and an eminent journalist who was adviser to martyred Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto until her assassination. He can be reached at wshwsh786@gmail.com |
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