"Who's the banana republic now?'' Colombian daily newspaper Publimetro chided on the front page with a photo of a man in a US flag print mask.

The irony of seeing US President Donald Trump cut off by major media networks Thursday as he launched unsubstantiated claims lambasting the US electoral system was not lost on many. 

The US has long been a vocal critic of strongman tactics around the world. Now, some of those same targets are turning around the finger.

Calls for to cease the vote depend. Baseless accusations of fraud. Claims that the opposition is making an attempt to “steal” the election.

The world over, many have been scratching their heads Friday – particularly in nations which have lengthy been suggested by Washington on find out how to run elections – questioning if these assertions might actually be coming from the president of the USA, the nation thought of one of many world’s most emblematic democracies.

“Who’s the banana republic now?” Colombian every day newspaper Publimetro chided on the entrance web page with a photograph of a person in a US flag print masks.

The irony of seeing US President Donald Trump minimize off by main media networks Thursday as he launched unsubstantiated claims lambasting the US electoral system was not misplaced on many. The US has lengthy been a vocal critic of strongman techniques world wide. Now, a few of those self same targets are turning across the finger.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro laughed because the vote dragged on previous Tuesday, briefly breaking into the hymn of his nation’s annual magnificence contest on state TV, singing, “On an evening like to nighttime, any of them might win.”

In Africa – lengthy the goal of US election steering _ one Kenyan commentator spun out satiric tweets, drawing freely from cliches that lengthy have described troubled elections and questioning the power of democracy within the US.
Kenyan cartoonist Patrick Gathara tweeted that Trump “has barricaded himself contained in the presidential palace vowing to not go away except he’s declared the winner,” with a mediator “at present making an attempt to coax him out with guarantees of quick meals.”

Together with the mockery comes dismay. Many individuals in Africa see the US as a bellwether for democracy and, after troubled votes in Tanzania and Ivory Coast in latest days, they appeared to what Washington may say.

“We’re asking ourselves, why is the US democratic course of showing so fragile when it’s meant to be held as much as us in the remainder of the world as a beacon of good democracy?” mentioned Samir Kiango, a Tanzanian out in his nation’s business capital Friday.

For many years, the US has been an advocate for democracy overseas, utilizing diplomatic strain and even direct army intervention within the title of spreading the ideas of a pluralistic system with a free and honest vote for political leaders. These techniques have generated each allies and enemies, and this 12 months’s presidential vote maybe greater than another is testing the power of the values it promotes world wide.

And the world is paying shut consideration.

Few locations on Earth have been on the receiving finish of US election recommendation because the African continent, the place the US has inspired nations to have impartial electoral commissions, a uniform voters’ roll and different requirements aimed toward making certain an equitable vote.

“The US electoral system has none of those. Not a single one,” Sithembile Mbete, a commentator and senior lecturer on political science on the College of Pretoria, mentioned at an internet occasion final month.

“Some African elections are literally better-run,” added Nic Cheeseman, professor and writer of a ebook on democracy in Africa.

Denis Kadima, govt director of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa, mentioned he sees Trump’s method to democracy as an exception, however “we should always not use that as a means of permitting our personal governments to do unhealthy issues.”

In Mexico, some commentators referred to as on the media to observe the lead of U.S. colleagues in chopping off transmissions when their very own nation’s president begins spreading falsehoods.

But there additionally was concern {that a} area the place many democracies are nonetheless on fragile floor – or within the throes of outright autocratic rule – that Trump’s conduct might set a foul precedent.

“If we resort to violence or loud demonstrations or political leaders making an attempt to do their greatest to skew the outcomes earlier than it is finalized, that can present a distinct instance for nations in Latin America,” mentioned Eric Farnsworth, vice chairman of the Council of the Americas, a New York-based group selling enterprise within the area.

Nonetheless, regardless of all of the ruckus within the US, many mentioned they see it as a blip, unlikely to wreck the nation’s fame as a champion of democracy.

Kadima, within the Ivory Coast, mentioned he sees Washington as retaining its beliefs, although he admitted confusion over the persistence of the electoral faculty system.

“I am not very impressed by the faculty system, which I do not discover terribly democratic,” he mentioned.

His colleague, Grant Masterson, famous that the US election system has “50 alternative ways in 50 totally different states,” one thing he mentioned works for the American folks however “definitely not the system that different nations are charging towards to embrace.”

What he finds “unbelievable for American democracy,” nevertheless, is the ritual of the concession speech after a bitterly fought vote, signaling that it is time to “take off your partisan hats and put in your nationwide hat” and transfer on.

“That is actually been an exceptionally good instance for the remainder of the world to emulate,” he mentioned – although he has doubts about such a speech this time.

As stressed Individuals awaited voting outcomes from the few remaining states not but coloured pink or blue, thousands and thousands the world over joined them. And nevertheless it seems, many hoped that in the end America’s humbled democracy comes out stronger.

Gathara, the Kenyan cartoonist and commentator, mentioned he’s optimistic there can be a extra trustworthy dialogue about democracy because of this.

“I actually do not know the way it ends,” he mentioned of his operating commentary. “We’re all making an attempt to determine this democratic factor out.”