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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider Long US election process ends today 

Long US election process ends today 

Published Jan 5, 2021 11:53 pm
Today, January 6, the United States Congress convenes to count the Electoral College votes sent by each of the 50 American states. The presidential election was held two months ago – last November 3 – and the electors chosen in by the voters of each state met last December 14 in the state capitols to cast their votes for the country’s president and vice president. Those state electors’ votes will now be officially counted today by the US Senate. Congress then proclaims the winners, ending the long process of US elections. The winners will take their oaths of office on January 20. The world, including us in the Philippines, has been following these developments in the US for months now, for many reasons. First, most of the world looks up to the US for leadership in world affairs. We in the Philippines have special reason to do so, as our political system is based on that of the US. We have seen how that election system has been sorely tried these past months¸ as the losing candidate, reelectionist President Donald Trump of the Republican Party, refused to acknowledge reports of the victory of his opponent, Joseph Biden of the Democratic Party. Trump took legal action in several courts to change the election results in several pivotal states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona, but all were rejected by the courts. In another move, rival electors were chosen in some states. A final effort will be launched by the Trump campaign today to have the Senate count these rival electors’ votes rather than the official state votes. A lawsuit was filed in Texas to compel Vice President Mike Pence, presiding officer of the Senate, to recognize these non-official state electors. Pence, to his credit, opposed that effort and a federal judge in Texas rejected the suit. President-elect Biden himself reportedly has adopted a policy of just ignoring Trump and the few Republican officials sticking by him. A group of seven current Republican senators, joined by four senators-elect, announced they will make a last-ditch effort for Trump when the Senate convenes today to officially count the elector  al votes and Congress proclaims the winners of the election. This final effort is likely to lose, like all the others. But the world watches, wondering how all this can be happening in the US today, with its great democratic tradition of free elections and fair play.

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Roni Santiago
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