US Ambassador D Brent Hardt says while there has always been intense political rivalry in his country, leaders have managed to set aside differences in the national interest.
He was speaking at a luncheon he hosted on Monday for government and other stakeholders to share in the historic second inauguration of President Barack Obama.
As he welcomed guests to the viewing of Obama’s inauguration address at his residence, the ambassador observed that “the inauguration of a president after a hard-fought electoral contest reflects the strength and health of a democracy.” The US presidential inauguration “embodies a strong bipartisan tradition, as even the most heated partisan political debates are set aside to honor the peaceful transition of power”, he said, according to a press release from the US Embassy.
Hardt noted that while the US has always faced intense political rivalries and often sharp disagreements, “what is more striking than the strength and persistence of division has been the remarkable ability of our country’s leaders to transcend their fears and forge compromises in the
