With so many recent media headlines about illegal voter registration, potential fraud, and intimidation practices to drive away voters these days, I thought the press was talking about Peru or Zimbabwe. But ironically no, they were referring to our country, the U.S., leader of the free world.

I guess it’s all started with the controversial 2000 Election, of which the voting margin was so razor-thin that the outcome first depended on the counting of “hanging chads” and then finally the legal juggernauts (also dubbed as the “Brooks Brothers Riot” of lawyers) between two political parties.

In 2004, the Democratic Party, fearful of another close race, wanted the election to be monitored. Since the world’s most famous and credible election monitor is Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, he therefore cannot be used. A number of Democratic members of the House of Representatives decided to pressure the U.S. State Department (then under Colin Powell) to invite The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) to monitor the U.S. presidential election.

So, of course, the Republican Party was fumed and retaliated with an amendment to a foreign aid bill to block federal funds from being used for the monitoring. The Associated Press reported. Thanks goodness that there were no stuffed ballot boxes and people were not coerced into voting a certain way like in other parts of the world.

So far in this 2008 Election, much of the hoopla about election violations and frauds have been skirmishes between the “Brooks Brothers” clad lawyers from both parties. They are testing the water and pre-positioning in case of a déjà vu of 2000 Election, as some analysts put it.

Meanwhile, according to Lauren Coletta of Common Cause, The Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) has been “quietly” back since June with an army of 100 long-term observers from the participating states, traversing around the U.S. making assessment. In the developing countries, the media follows the international election monitors like shadows. Here, Joe the Plumber wouldn’t notice if an OSCE monitor were to standing next to him when he’s about to cast his vote.

Next week, let’s hope both parties will tell their “Brooks Brothers” teams that: “Everything is all right. We don’t need you anymore. You can go home now”. Pheeww!

Julian Do