ODIHR calls for restraint and respect for the democratic process following US election unrest

YEREVAN, JANUARY 7, ARMENPRESS. Watching the increasingly disquieting events unfolding in the United States capital in recent hours following the November general elections, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) voices its concern regarding the integrity of the democratic process, and calls on all sides to keep to the principles of democracy and the rule of law, ODIHR said in a statement.

As one of the 57 countries of the OSCE region, the United States has committed not only to hold democratic elections but also ensure that “the candidates who obtain the necessary votes are duly installed in office.” While the US legal system provides for a smooth transition of power, restraint by all those involved in the process remains vital, even in a country with such strong institutions and traditional respect for democratic norms. Neither incitement to violence nor violence itself has any place in the democratic process”, the statement says.

Law enforcement officers on Wednesday night detained more than 50 people after the curfew imposed in the US capital due to riots, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee announced at a press conference, TASS reported.

In addition, two pipe bombs were recovered from the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic national committees, Contee said.

Earlier, authorities of Washington DC confirmed four deaths during violent protests on Wednesday near the US Congress building.

Protesters supporting current President Donald Trump stormed on Wednesday the US Congress building in Washington DC and disrupted the work of lawmakers, who met to certify the results of the November presidential election for President-elect Joe Biden.