Story by Bruce Chahwanda, Political Editor
Political analysts have described the decision by outgoing United States President Joe Biden to pardon his son as an act of hypocrisy and abuse of office which could have attracted negative global attention if it had occurred in another country.
The world was shocked at the news that Biden granted executive clemency to his son Hunter who was expected to be sentenced for two federal crimes involving drug abuse and tax evasion.
This has reflected badly on the US which claims to be the father of constitutionalism and a champion of democracy.
International relations expert Dr Leopold Chakanyuka says the decision lays bare the hypocrisy of the United States and its leadership.
“He is causing democracy to suffer and abuse of power and artificial intervention for his family. If it had happened in other parts of the world, in that situation, you would have people writing thesis, you would have people even, you know, talking about going as far as the United Nations. And some would even have been talking about the imposition of sanctions because of such an act. But that’s exactly what they are also doing in their country. So what then it shows is that Americans are not in any way different from the rest of the world.
“The image which they try to portray is not exactly as how they do it. Which I think in a way should also be a lesson not only to us but to around the world that the Americans preach a certain message that they don’t fulfil or they don’t do when it comes to their own country. They are just confronted by the same issue that can confront any other country.
“Over the years, they’ve wanted us to believe that their institutions are the strongest and they are a model that everyone should follow because they are free from any form of interference, they are free from political interference. But Biden is here crying over what he is calling political interference or politically motivated persecution.
“So for those people who have put faith or who have believed that the Americans are best at what they do, I think this should serve as a lesson to them that they are not saints, they are not different from anyone else,” he said.
Political analyst Mr Lazarus Sauti said President Biden has demonstrated monumental failure in upholding his country’s constitution.
“It means that the judiciary system in the United States of America is captured and if this had happened in Africa, the cry would be dangerously loud. This happened in the US, a country which is regarded as the paragon of democracy and we expected that he would follow the judicial processes to respect the judicial system. He trampled on the constitution of the country,” he said.
Biden pulled out of the recent US presidential race owing to pressure due to a series of blunders.
The Democrats were eventually represented by US Vice President Camala Harris who lost to Donald Trump.
The decision to pardon his son has left a dent on Biden’s tenure which exposes the US for preaching the opposite of what they practice.
