Prof. Etse Sikanku, a senior lecturer at the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), has voiced serious concerns regarding the state of democracy in the United States.
He believes that democracy is under threat, particularly in light of statements made by former President Donald Trump leading up to the November 5 elections.
Prof. Sikanku expressed disappointment that the US, often viewed as a beacon of democracy, is now facing risks to its democratic system.
His concerns were articulated during an interview with Bernard Avle on Channel One’s The Point of View, where he highlighted Trump’s promises to embrace autocratic tendencies if re-elected on his first day in office.
The professor criticized Trump’s character, particularly his history of disputing electoral results, which he sees as a significant risk to democracy in the US.
He raised alarms about Trump’s reluctance to accept election outcomes, expressing doubts about whether Trump would concede if he loses this year’s election.
This skepticism is fueled by Trump’s management of the COVID-19 pandemic, which Prof. Sikanku believes reflects a lack of leadership qualities.
“There’s also the issue of democracy at risk. It’s almost unthinkable, unfathomable to conceive that a nation regarded as the paragon of democracy, a superpower in global democratic terms, should have its fundamental democratic tenets come under threat. That the US should be discussing the survival of democracy is as unusual as it gets. Democracy is on the ballot, democracy is at stake.”
When asked if the election represents a choice between democracy and dictatorship, he asserted, “This is not a media creation at all. This is as real and palpable as voting to decide who leads the House of Representatives or Senate.
Democracy is at risk because we still have a former American president, a person of significant character and stature, questioning the legitimacy of an election in which a president has served for four years. Donald Trump cannot bring himself to accept the results or outcomes of the elections.”
“He would not say publicly if he would accept the outcome of this election. This is an election where security is also on the bill. We used to know of African presidents not accepting the outcome of elections, that is the situation now. This is somebody who is not ready to accept the credibility of the election board and the work they do.”
