By Prudence Arobani
New York – President Donald Trump has accused his fiercest rival at the Nov. 8 presidential election, Democratic Hillary Clinton, of rigging Saturday’s chairmanship election of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).
Democrats on Saturday elected Clinton’s long-time ally, Mr Tom Perez, as Chairman of DNC.
The election was seen as a proxy battle between Clinton and her arch challenger for the party’s presidential nomination in 2016, Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Trump said on Sunday in his tweets that Clinton rigged out Sen. Bernie Sanders’ candidate, Keith Ellison.
“The race for DNC Chairman was, of course, totally ‘rigged’.
“Bernie’s guy, like Bernie himself, never had a chance. Clinton demanded Perez!” Trump tweeted.
Trump had, in his congratulatory message to Perez on Saturday, said he “could not be happier for the Republican Party”.
“Congratulations to Thomas Perez, who has just been named Chairman of the DNC.
“I could not be happier for him, or for the Republican Party!” Trump tweeted.
Perez defeated Minnesota Rep Keith Ellison and four other candidates in a race at a time when the party is facing one of its greatest challenges in serving as a credible opposition and united check to the Republican President Trump.
The election saw Perez receiving 235 votes in the second round of voting, ahead of Sanders’ preferred candidate, Keith Ellison’s 200.
Ellison, had the support of progressives like Sanders as well as more establishment politicians like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
In his victory speech, however, Perez announced that he was appointing Ellison the Deputy Chair of the DNC, a move that largely calmed frayed nerves among Ellison’s group.
The move, which was accepted by Ellison, was unanimously supported.
There is no provision for the position of Deputy Chair in the party and there would be an election for the Vice Chairman later.
The election for the new DNC chairman was held following the resignation of former DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who left the post following the 2016 DNC email leak by WikiLeaks.
Emails leaked by WikiLeaks revealed that Brazile had informed the Clinton campaign of debate questions ahead of time.
It was revealed in the email leak that Schultz showed bias against Sanders’ presidential campaign, and was succeeded as DNC chair by Donna Brazile, who served in an interim role, but ran into controversy as well.
