Page 2 - ATODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Monday 19 deceMber 2016
Election questions leave U.S. distrustful, like other nations

BRADLEY KLAPPER sway voter sentiments.
Associated Press It was only 12 years ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — that Ukraine’s eventual
Americans’ enduring president became dis-
confidence that their figured after he mysteri-
elections are unim- ously ingested a lethal
peachably fair is teeter- poison while campaign-
ing. Welcome to what ing against a pro-Mos-
much of the world calls cow candidate.
reality, especially Rus- Many countries in Cen-
sia’s neighbors. tral and Eastern Europe
While the United States live with the memories
cites its popular votes of Soviet-manipulated
and peaceful transitions votes ushering in com-
of power as examples munist dictatorships.
of its democratic vigor, For them, cyberattacks
elections results else- may be only the newest
where can entail a hint weapon.
or heavy dose of suspi- Russia denies that it in-
cion. Ballots are rigged terferes or plays favorites
regularly, level playing in foreign elections.
fields are rare and big- The United States has a
ger powers often med- dodgy record itself.
dle in the sovereign Its Cold War history in-
political processes of cludes cases when it
smaller nations. ensured the victory of
Russia, accused by the pro-capitalist and pro-
CIA of helping Donald democracy parties
Trump in last month’s against communists, as
presidential election, is in Italy after World War
no stranger to accusa- In this Nov. 16, 2016 file photo, Hillary Clinton speaks in Washington. Clinton is blaming Russian II. In other instances,
tions of interference with interference for her defeat in the presidential race, casting her campaign as fodder in a long- Washington’s response
other countries’ elec- running effort by Russian President Vladimir Putin to discredit the fundamental tenants of American to unfavorable results
tions. Nor is the United government. was coup d’etat, as in
States. Associated Press Iran and Guatemala in
Whether the full extent the 1950s or Chile two
of the accusations of to play the Russia/CIA Before the Nov. 8 vote, and open dissent before decades later.
Russian interference card. he repeatedly sug- and during elections. Af- These days, the U.S.
turns out to be true, they It would be called gested the election was rica, Asia and the Middle stresses level playing
already are damaging conspiracy theory!” he “rigged” against him. East score particularly fields in foreign elec-
the legitimacy of the U.S. tweeted this past week. A Pew Research Cen- poorly, and the world’s tions, a message that
democratic process. The broader, systemic ter survey shortly before most populous nation, less-than-free govern-
When many citizens dis- fear for the U.S. is that Election Day showed 56 China, remains a one- ments often conflate
trust their government, what was an anomaly percent of Trump sup- party state. Yet even with interference.
the media and other in 2000 could start be- porters having little to no some of Europe’s estab- Washington says it re-
institutions of American coming the norm: elec- trust in the fairness of the lished democracies are mains strictly impartial as
life, doubts about the tions that don’t produce process. Only 11 percent appearing increasingly other nations make their
freeness and fairness of presidents recognized of Clinton backers felt flawed. democratic choices.
the elections cause con- by one and all. that way. Some fault may reside in Yet top U.S. officials still
sternation. Sixteen years ago, it was While the numbers may foreign interference. In play favorites, meet-
The outgoing Obama the disputed recount appear an anomaly in France, Germany and ing opposition figures in
administration is review- and incredibly close con- America, elections are the Netherlands, officials some countries but not
ing the evidence of Rus- test in Florida between hardly beyond reproach are preoccupied with others.
sian hacking of emails Republican George W. in much of the world. what they see as Russian In rare cases they even
from the Democratic Bush, the eventual win- Most of the world’s gov- moves to influence their take sides, as when Pres-
Party and Hillary Clinton’s ner, and Democrat Al ernments include some elections through sup- ident Barack Obama
campaign chief John Gore. form of voting on na- port for nationalist and publicly urged Britain’s
Podesta, and if such ac- Now, it is the question tional leaders. But most populist parties, and ef- voters not to leave the
tivity was designed to of whether Trump, who nations don’t qualify as forts to delegitimize gov- European Union. He
tilt the outcome toward like Bush didn’t receive “free,” according to the ernments that haven’t failed.
Trump. Republican-led the majority of votes na- nongovernmental orga- done Moscow’s bidding. These efforts, however,
investigations are taking tionwide, would have nization Freedom House. German officials charge differ from what Russia
place in Congress. prevailed in a race that The State Department Russia with engineering is accused of doing be-
Trump has denounced didn’t include daily also chronicles the short- hacks of Germany’s par- cause they are out in
the claims as partisan- email revelations from comings of countries in its liament. the open. They do not
ship. the anti-secrecy group annual reports, detailing Elsewhere, the per- involve claims of bal-
“Can you imagine if the WikiLeaks. which governments and ceived meddling has lot tampering, illegal
election results were the Trump may have con- leaders restrict freedom come in the form of false funding for parties or
opposite and WE tried tributed to the distrust. of expression, the press news stories designed to cyberhacking.q