• Ethnic tensions escalate in country marred by history of vote rigging
(LHN) ILLINOIS, United States of America — Human rights organizations and the U.N. have expressed concerns over the ongoing incitement that has characterized the run-up to elections in the United States of America (U.S.). The incitement to conflict seems to have come to a head yesterday, with the large inland city of Chicago witnessing scenes of chaos and violence.
Two candidates are expected to compete for the presidency later this year: Donald Trump, a member of the country’s financial elite, and Hillary Clinton, hailing from one of the dynastic families that have traditionally ruled this bicoastal nation, and widely expected to inherit the presidency previously held by her husband. Chicago is a stronghold of the current regime, of which Mrs. Clinton is a member.
While Mr. Trump has exploited the tensions simmering between his own community and various minorities — mainly the Blacks, who are descendants of African slaves, the more recent Hispanic immigrants from the south, and Muslims — both contenders belong to the same ruling ethnic group.
Though the U.S., colloquially known as “America”, has a history of serious irregularities in its elections, the country has steadfastly ruled out the prospect of monitoring or other forms of assistance from the international community. With its peculiar tradition of years-long election campaigns, the U.S. might be facing a prolonged period of heightened unrest.
Mr. Trump has also rattled the balance between and within the two ruling parties that have traditionally been able to accommodate a discordant but stable power-sharing arrangement, due to a high degree of aligned interests. Now his own party, the Republicans, might face an alliance-fracturing internal revolt. The days of overt two-party rule in the United States might be coming to an end, observers say, but hopes for genuine multiparty democracy seem to be fading.
(More analysis on the topic from The Independent: Limited Hangout News thanks Karen Attiah for her reporting.)
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