Joe Biden.
Credit: Reuters Photo
UN: Citing the example of India, US President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that the world witnessed people across the globe “peacefully” choosing their future through elections held this year.
“We've seen citizens across the world peacefully choosing their future, from Ghana to India to South Korea - nations representing one-quarter of humanity will hold elections this year alone,” Biden said as he addressed world leaders from the podium of the UN General Assembly Tuesday.
Delivering his last address as President of the United States, Biden told the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly "it is remarkable, the power of we the people, that makes me more optimistic about the future than I've ever been since I was first elected to United States Senate 1972.”
The Indian general elections, conducted in seven stages over six weeks, concluded in June this year and were the largest electoral exercise in the history of mankind, with 650 million voters exercising their franchise and bringing the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi back to power for a historic consecutive third term.
Prime Minister Modi, addressing the UN’s Summit of the Future Monday, also referred to the gigantic Indian elections, describing them as the “largest election in human history.”
On behalf of India, the world’s largest democracy, and 1.4 billion Indians, Namaskar to all of you. In the largest election in human history held recently in June, the people of India have given me the opportunity to serve them, for a third consecutive term,” Modi said.
The US heads into presidential elections in just over a month with Americans all set to vote on November 5 and pick either Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris or Republican candidate former President Donald Trump as their next leader.
Biden announced earlier this summer that he will not seek re-election as President of the United States, passing on the baton to Harris, who has made history as the first woman of Indian and Black heritage to be nominated as an American presidential candidate.
“This summer, I faced a decision whether to seek a second term as President. It was a difficult decision. Being president has been the honour of my life. There's so much more I want to get done. As much as I love this job, I love my country more. I decided, after 50 years of public service, it's time for a new generation of leadership to take my nation forward. My fellow leaders, let us never forget, that some things are more important than staying in power. It's your people,” Biden said to a round of huge applause from the world leaders in the UNGA hall.
“We are here to serve the people, not the other way around.”