The United Macedonian Diaspora unreservedly condemns the armed violence and terrorism aimed at the heart of American democracy this week.
The forceful storming of the United States Capitol was an attempted coup against democratic ideals. In seeking to overturn a presidential election, the perpetrators betrayed the very freedoms they claim to defend – the right of the people to vote and for the valid outcome of that vote to be upheld in an orderly way.
UMD supports peaceful and democratic cooperation across the globe. So many people around the world are denied the right to witness transparent legislative governance, and even the democratic right to vote. It is the responsibility of the United States, as a beacon of democracy, to set the finest example.
As a non-partisan, diaspora organization, we work to foster cohesive and forward-thinking dialogue between the various communities within our society. To this end, it is important to respect the diverse opinions of the electorate to enable a smooth and lawful transition of government. The process of verifying election results is a lengthy and costly one, but extremely valuable to our democracy, to ensure all voices are equally heard.
We anticipate a seamless transition to the next administration and look forward to working with the teams of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We hope to build a stronger U.S. relationship with Macedonia and the entire Southeast European region, while fully respecting the principles of democracy, human rights, social justice and the rule of law.