U.S. Ambassador Asif Chaudhry: The beauty of the American electoral system is that everyone can become a president

“The beauty of the Amercian electoral system is that it does not matter where you come from: north or south, if you're black or white, male or female, to be elected: this is the beauty of the democracy,” stated the U.S. ambassador to Chisinau, Asif Chaudhry. On Wednesday morning, November 5, when the two candidates for president were giving their speeches in the United States, the ambassador called, to his residence, Moldovan politicians, journalists and leaders of the civil society to witness, together, the historical change in his country, Info-Prim Neo reports. Meanwhile in Chicago, president elect Barack Obama was stating: “If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.” Ambassador Chaudhry has shown his fascination with the speeches of the two competitors. John McCain conceded his defeat, as president elect Barack Obama has declared he will the president of all the Americans. In the hall of the ambassador's residence, the guests were invited “to vote”, as if, certainly. The results: out of 67 Moldovans, only 11 opted for McCain. After voting for Democrat Obama, AMN parliamentarian (Moldova Noastra Alliance, center-right) Gheorghe Susarenco explained his decision to the Info-Prim Neo reporter. “'I voted' for a left-wing leader in the U.S.A., hoping our lefts will learn to make democracy, market economy, to be as the normal people are.” Referring to Moldova, Susarenco wants the change in America to mean a stronger position of the United States in settling conflicts in the world, as the Transnistrian conflict is. “The world financial crisis has shown a number of mistakes committed by the liberal (right-wing – transl. note) parties, and we know the Americans are very sensitive to such things, that is why they gave a landslide vote to the Democratic candidate,” says Social-Democratic leader Dumitru Braghis. The parliamentarian avoids to see immediate consequences in Chisinau following the change in Washington. “We must change ourselves many things here at home so that the international community and the United States of America appreciate us and change their attitude toward Moldova,” Dumitru Braghis said. Attending the reception, the political analyst Viorel Cibotaru has remarked three distinctive traits of the U.S. change. “It's for the first time that this country elects a black president; the visible mobilization of the American nation to influence the country's policy: the U.S. enter an economic recession and the people mobilize their efforts as happened in other times in their history. The huge turnout means the Americans are certain their votes matter,” Viorel Cibotaru said. No key figures of the Communists Party were noticed at the reception. Only one official, the chief of the Inter-Ethnic Relations Department, Olga Goncharova, attended the reunion.