LONDON, Nov 9: The invasion of Iraq and a scandal-hit Republican Congress were the key issues that shaped the US mid-term elections in which Democrats swept to power, according to the world's press.
In Europe, British newspapers picked up on Mr Bush's admission of the part played by the conflict in the election result.
The left-of-centre Independent's front-page headline -- “It's the war, stupid” -- reflected a common view.
The Financial Times was unusually critical in an editorial, saying:
“Americans have at last started to hold to account the Republican leadership and the administration of George W. Bush for their incompetence and disdain for the law, and for the way they have dragged America's reputation through the mud and muddle of the Middle East.”The reaction in France was especially swift, and a touch gloating, recalling animosity between Paris and Washington over the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq.
“This defeat is really (Bush's) defeat -- the fiasco of the Iraq invasion and its consequences have been branded on his forehead with a red-hot iron,” wrote a columnist in the left-wing L'Humanite.
“The Democrats force Bush to bend,” the daily Liberation said.
Tuesday's vote saw Democrats make sweeping gains across the country to grab control of the House of Representatives and stand on the brink of control of the Senate.
The US media's lashing of the Republican administration was swift and merciless.
“There was only one explanation for the crazy-quilt combination of (Democrat) victories around the country ...: an angry repudiation of the Bush White House and the abysmal way the Republican majority has run Congress,” a New York Times editorial said.
The Washington Post said the election showed the limits of Bush's focus on his conservative base, a policy perfected by the president and his main political adviser, Karl Rove.
The Wall Street Journal said Democrats were aware that, even weakened, the Republicans could still filibuster proposed legislation and Bush could use his presidential veto.
The Journal warned: “The conventional wisdom is that two years of gridlock are likely.” In Asia, there was speculation over future US policy towards North Korea.
The Chinese People's Daily's commented: “The president's power and action will be restricted by the new Congress dominated by Democratic Party and it will be much more difficult for Bush to use military solution to settle the nuclear issue in North Korea and in Iran.” The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan's most widely-read newspaper, said in its editorial: “If Washington devotes all its attention to the Iraq problem and loses interest in the North Korea issue, there is a fear that Pyongyang will take advantage of such a situation and accelerate its nuclear development programme.” Without active US involvement in the talks, they will not have a successful outcome,” the newspaper said, referring to six-party negotiations aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear programme.The Times of India was concerned the vote would threaten India's nuclear deal with the US, which it believed had recently been at the centre “improved US-India relations”.
“The Democrats are clear opponents,” the newspaper said.
Australia's Sydney Morning Herald said: “The polls tell us that two great issues dominated this election -- the Iraq war and the 'sleaze' factor in Congress.” Hong Kong's South China Morning Post editorial said Americans had “voted out one-party government”.
“The US will no longer be run by a Republican leadership that has behaved as if control of the White House and Congress gave it a right to set aside the balance of powers laid down in the constitution,” the newspaper said.
Russian newspapers focused on a possible change in US policy toward the country, worrying that Moscow's hopes of World Trade Organisation membership looked even more likely to be dashed.
The Democrats' victory “will harden US policy toward Russia,” the respected daily Kommersant said.
“The Republicans' defeat ... does not only signal an important change in US foreign policy concerning Iraq, Iran and North Korea, but also a change in the United States' Russia policy: it will be tougher,” the newspaper said.
The Vremya Novostei daily also predicted “unpleasantness” for Russia given the “hardline position of numerous influential Democrats”.
In the Middle East, the semi-official Jordan Times declared: “A very unfortunate era of American unilateralism and disregard for international law and norms is hopefully over.”—AFP
