Mohammad Amjad Hossain :
In the United States of America which survived for the last 245 years since 1776 of 4 July having democratic system but now the people of the United States of America are curious whether they are going to lose the democratic system. A drama was enacted in Texas recently when Democratic lawmakers in fact derailed the passage of a controversial new bill by waking out of the statehouse (Parliament). The controversial bill was intended to end early voting plus and mail-in voting. The intention of changing voting procedure is to deprive black and hispanic voters to cast votes in future. The Republican Governor Greg Abbott threatened to strip funding for their salaries and staff as well. Democrats are of the opinion that they intended a change of voting system to quash turnout among voters of colour, who overwhelmingly lean Democratic.
Co-sponsor of the bill Senator Bryan Hughes reportedly said the bill was intended to ensure accessibility and security to Texas election integrity while Democrat Representative Colin Alfred holds a different opinion who said “every American needs to be watching what’s happening in Texas now. This is not legislation, it’s discrimination.”
Having seen the drama in Texas President Joseph Biden is reported to have promised to fight back against Republican efforts to restrict voting while Vice-President Kamala Harris has been assigned to lead the administration’s efforts to pass H.R1 which is a sweeping federal bill that would establish national standards for election administration. President Biden is reported to have said further that “this sacred right is under assault with incredible intensity like I have never seen”.
It is a fact that Texas broke away from Mexico in 1836 while nine years remained independent but the Republic of Texas joined the United States of America in 1845 following congress approved the joint resolution for annexing Texas to the United States.
Associate Professor of Government at the University of Texas at Austin Eric McDaniel Told Texas Tribune in 2016 that civil war played a very big role in establishing the power of the Federal government and cementing that the Federal government has the final say in these issue while many historian believe that when the confederacy surrendered at approximate in 1865, the idea of secession was also defeated, Eric McDaniel said. Meanwhile, comments by Texas newspapers are against Republican attempts to subvert holding elections fairly without any interference. The Houston chronicle in an editorial said “Texas Republicans are engaged in a scandalous charade. Their bill is rank voter suppression masquerading as voting integrity”.
House Representative in eleventh district in Virginia, Gerry Connolly, who is our close friend, in a message on 30 June, 2021 is reported to have said that state legislatures across the country are implementing draconian new voter suppression laws at an alarming pace. His comment is reflected from the fact that Georgia lawmakers are rolling out legislation that would make it a lot harder to vote. They are considering dozen to purge voters from rolls, limit early and absentee votes. If passed laws, it would affect Democratic Party in particular. Presently, Republican is in control of 30 state legislatures while Democrat holds 18 state legislatures.
Meanwhile, Republican Senator in the Senate blocked last week a legislation to consider for the People Act which is most comprehensive anti-corruption and election reform bill.
The people in the United States of America are watching the alarming situation emerging now.
(Mohammad Amjad Hossain, retired diplomat from Bangladesh and former President of Nova Toastmaster International club of America, writes from Falls Church, Virginia, USA)
