Demonstration Elections

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Democracy, Mexican Style—By Stephen Lendman—07/07/06

What do these presidential elections all have in common: Mexico, 1988, US, 2000, US, 2004, Colombia and Peru, 2006 and the just concluded Mexican election on July 2? In each case, the outcome was 'arranged' and known in advance before voters went to the polls. They're what economist and media and social critic Edward Herman calls 'Demonstration Elections ' - the characterization and title he gave his 1980s book analyzing and documenting sham elections in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Vietnam. Professor Herman is an expert, and although his book was written over 20 years ago, it's clear little has changed except for the added sophistication gained since then in the ability of officials to make elections turn out the way they wish. "