US bans American diplomats from expressing opinions on elections abroad - Reuters
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has instructed US diplomats around the world not to comment on the fairness or integrity of elections held by other countries.
This was written by Reuters, according to Censor.NET.
Thus, a memo was sent to all US diplomatic missions stating that the Department would not make election-related statements or post on social media unless there was a "clear and compelling" foreign policy interest.
"When it is appropriate to comment on a foreign election, our message should be brief, focused on congratulating the winning candidate and, when appropriate, noting shared foreign policy interests.
Messages should avoid opining on the fairness or integrity of an electoral process, its legitimacy, or the democratic values of the country in question," said the note, which was marked as "sensitive" but not classified.
It also adds that election-related messages should come either from the Secretary himself or from the Department spokesperson. US diplomats are prohibited from making such statements without explicit approval of their senior leadership.
The memo referred to Trump's 13 May speech in Riyadh, when he criticized what he called "Western interventionists" telling Middle Eastern countries how to govern their own affairs, saying it was no longer Washington's business and he was seeking to build partnerships.
"The United States has traditionally viewed the promotion of human rights and democracy as well as press freedom as a core foreign policy objective, although critics have repeatedly pointed out the double standard Washington has had towards its allies," the publication writes.
