By Africa24 news

The United States of America is sitting on a swivel chair to decide between the two: on the fate of the people’s will in elections in African countries and Americans’ welfare interests at home.

The world’s bastion of democracy, as it is known to be, is no longer having the Liberty hall’s arm-torch lighting in the New York City.

The US governments after the Obama administration have been seen back pedaling on its promises to restoring true democracy in most post-civil wars and coups- led countries in Africa.

For example, in Nigeria February 25, 2023 elections and in Sierra Leone June 24, 2023 elections, both winning leaders: president Maada Bio of Sierra Leone and Nigeria president Bola Tinubu have been refused to be accepted as genuine presidents by US government.

Mr Bola faced Supreme Court litigation by the opposition but was declared the duly elected winner.

Tinubu now walks free as a leader with Nigeria maintaining her foreign relations with the United States.

Both nations have been in the US visa travel ban of some key individuals bent on undermining democracy during elections.

The yesterdays of United States of America strong, purposeful and direct messages of resistance to despotic African rulers have been replaced with sugar coated tongues of economic or capitalist interests over African voters’ will during elections.

Most critics of democracy in Asia continent as an ideology that is not good for a country’s development are winning the battle between communism against capitalist-democracy with the latter which America (US) has been promoting to impose on poor countries in the world and even on the developed nations   in the world which are partners with USA to advance their bilateral or multilateral economic interests.

The enforcement of the sacred principles of democracy is slowly collapsing while America and Africa diplomatic and economic interests are gaining momentum through posts seen on twitter or x and other social media platforms by US foreign diplomats and on global news TV and radio networks by US politicians.

These sacred principles are: respect for the rule of law, human rights protection, transparency in elections, a five or four year presidential limit by leaders in democratic countries in the world especially in Africa and the promotion of gender, women’s and children’s rights.

Before Sierra Leone had its general elections on June 24, 2023, President Joe Biden doled out $165 million to six countries in Africa including Sierra Leone so that leaders could strengthen the thematic principles of democracy: rule of law, human rights protection, and transparency in elections in Africa.

The meeting between six African leaders and US president happened in January, 2023.

But when the elections in Sierra Leone were allegedly rigged by the government, though US government had announced a travel ban of some individuals who may have caused violence during Sierra Leone’s and who may have aided the elections to be rigged, followed with a refusal grant of a $500 million US millennium challenge cooperation package to the government of Sierra Leone due to allegations of elections rigging concerns, now US government is softening its stance.

Its earlier stance that  the “will” of the people of Sierra Leone in June election must be met by organizing a fresh general election, ironically, a re-run election has not been held yet and a credible, and trust process or external investigation into the outcome of the June elections could also not be made possible.

Instead of US government pushing for a hiring of an ‘independent’ external source to probe into the controversial elections result which is still not being made public, embattled government of Sierra Leone is taking the lead by setting up an election management review committee.

The latest  comment below by US ambassador Bryan Hunt,  shows a renege, by the world bastion of democracy, United States, on the initial promise to re-run the general  elections in Sierra Leone to reflect the will and interests of the electorates.

Mr Hunt was believed to have assured Sierra Leone government that it remained on track to get back the MCC compact “having fulfilled” all the requirements of the Millennium Challenge Cooperation.

The call, by the US ambassador for Sierra Leone to join the United States and other nations in endorsing the Declaration of the Atlantic Cooperation as a full member, endorses the fact also that United States now sits on a “swivel chair”.

In other words, US government’s stance, on upholding democracy in Africa, is not static, and it means it is sitting on a swivel chair.

The United States is finding it difficult to fully enforce tougher sanctions on West Africa countries and on its allies in the world who are undermining democracy.

This is mainly because the US is pushing to advance more of its “economic motives” while promoting less punishable stance on African leaders who are failing to allow a fair, free and transparent elections that reflect the will of the people.