America Still Thinks It’s the Election Police
October was a busy month for the U.S. State Department officials who keep an eye on the integrity of elections abroad. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned multiple (unspecified) countries in Africa heading to the polls that “repression and intimidation have no place in democracies,” and raised the specter of possible visa restrictions on those who fuel election-related violence. He then congratulated Bolivia’s president-elect for victory in that country’s “credible process” selecting a new leader. And a State Department spokesperson offered praise for a “major milestone in Seychelles’ democracy,” as the island nation wrapped up its elections.
More recently, Tanzania has been criticized for with “widespread irregularities” and Côte d’Ivoire got that it should “show commitment to
