Mr Tahir Mirza has enlightened his readers on the anomalous situation in the US presidential elections. Under this, the two centuries old, outdated indirect method of election still hold, through an electoral college of 535 popularly elected representatives of 270 million Americans, out of which 130 million have the voting right, but only half of them actually cast their votes. And it looks very strange that a candidate, with a majority of popular votes will face defeat while the rival candidate, with fewer popular votes, gets majority of the electoral college votes and gets into the most powerful seat of authority in the world. Just imagine the speed with which, the competing networks splashed the news of a Republican victory and with matching speed came congratulationary messages from at least a dozen heads of state from around the world. But then the whole situation has now been reversed.
All congratulations stand withdrawn.
Now the political battle is to be decided in the Supreme Court. Such an unprecedented situation and confusion could only be settled through a constitutional amendment replacing the old electoral college system by a more representative, direct and popular vote system. But then the whole game depends on the fate of knotty or naughty 25 electoral votes of fluid Florida. The margin of vote difference is so small that the whole of American nation will feel relieved at such ad-hoc arrangements which are in tune with the verdict of the popular vote. SOME very old and precious trees growing in the premises of the office of the director-general of post offices in Rawalpindi have been cut down and the remaining ones will also be felled turn by turn under the orders of the D. G. post offices.