South African President Thabo Mbeki on Wednesday congratulated United States President George Bush on his election for a second term, and called for greater world peace under his leadership.
”The government and people of South Africa, in wishing him well, will fervently hope for greater world stability and peace under his leadership,” Mbeki said.
After a tense endgame debate over whether pivotal state Ohio could flip to John Kerry and turn the Democrat’s fortunes, the Massachusetts senator called Bush to concede defeat.
”We hope for renewed support for and interest in Africa and the developing world, reform of world institutions, and an era of multilateralism marked by social progress for all,” Mbeki added.
The South African president also extended his good wishes to Senator John Kerry.
”Senator Kerry ran a good race, we congratulate him too.”
The African National Congress also on Wednesday congratulated Bush.
”The ANC further extends congratulations to representatives from all parties who were elected into office in the elections,” ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said.
He also commended Kerry on ”an impressive showing in a hard-fought contest”.
Ngonyama said the people of the US deserve a special mention for conducting the elections ”in an orderly and peaceful manner, further confirming their commitment to democracy in the US”.
‘Warmest congratulations’ from Blair
Meanwhile, reports Michelle Hoffman from London, British Prime Minister Tony Blair was due to bestow warm congratulations on Bush, his closest ally in the Iraq war.
The prime minister, whose fortunes have been bound to his commitment to the transatlantic alliance, was expected to make a formal statement later on Wednesday.
The US vote was the first since the attacks on September 11 three years ago radically altered the world view of most Westerners, and since Blair staked his popularity and premiership on joining Bush in the ”war on terror” and in Iraq.
Blair got a laugh from Parliament earlier on Wednesday by appearing to almost congratulate Bush even before any victor was announced.
”I’m sure the whole house will join with me in sending my warmest congratulations to President … Karzai of Afghanistan,” Blair said, pausing long enough mid-sentence to prompt a round of laughter in the House of Commons.
He was referring to the announcement in Kabul on Wednesday that Hamid Karzai had won his country’s October 9 presidential race.
After a few moments of laughter, Blair continued more seriously.
”Like everyone else, I await the outcome of the other [US] presidential election with interest,” he said during his weekly parliamentary question period.
Labour heavyweight Donald Anderson, who heads the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, told the ITV News Channel: ”The people have spoken. There is a clear victory for President Bush. Now we must work alongside our US ally.”
Conservative Party leader Michael Howard also gave his party’s congratulations.
”We look to the president to be a unifying force for those all over the world who share our determination to defend freedom,” he said.
Political analysts in the United Kingdom said Blair might now try to use his clout with the Bush administration to push for Washington to commit to his ”personal priority” of reviving the Middle Eastern peace process.
”[Blair] certainly believed that President Bush was sincere in wanting to make progress on some sort of ‘road map’ design once he got the Iraqi crisis out of the way,” said Michael Clarke, director of the International Policy Institute at King’s College, London.
But Lord William Wallace of the London School of Economics warned the British leader should not expect any favours from the White House, emboldened by its fresh four-year mandate.
”Tony Blair shouldn’t expect a reward for the British alliance, although there is some understanding in the Bush administration that you can’t ask the British any more.
”It would have been much more comfortable (for Blair) if Kerry had won because there’s a clear preference in the Labour,” he said. — Sapa-AFP, Sapa