Around the world, some see flaws in U.S. election, others see democracy

TOKYO (AP) - Many in the world are used to elections plagued by turmoil and confusion. They just aren't used to seeing that in the United States.

''If this had happened in Nigeria or anywhere else in Africa, the whole world would be pointing fingers at us,'' said Fortune Akabuka, a cab driver in Lagos.

''Election intrigue not monopoly of Third World,'' read Thursday's headline in The Herald, a state-controlled newspaper in Zimbabwe.

As the United States tried to sort out the ballots and reach a final result between George W. Bush and Al Gore, observers around the globe tried to make sense of the tumult. Some were shocked that a nation often held as a model of democracy could also stumble. Others saw the confusion as proof of the strength of American democracy.

A crucial recount in Florida, with its 25 electoral votes, could settle the election amid rival claims of victory. Halfway finished, the recount showed Gore closer, within 1,000 votes, with a possibility the nation won't be sure of its next president for days or even weeks.

The Jakarta Post newspaper in Indonesia said it gave a ''thumbs up'' to the meticulous recount.

''As a fledgling democracy, Indonesia could learn much from Wednesday's U.S. election and from the political maturity the American people displayed in adhering to their democratic principles,'' the newspaper said.

In Japan, where newspapers Thursday had the details of the battle for Florida on their front pages, commentators said the tight race could provide a strong antidote to voter apathy.

''This election again made us realize the weight of each vote under the democratic system,'' said the Nihon Keizai newspaper, the country's top economic daily.

Others were stunned that a country with economic, political and cultural clout in the farthest reaches of the globe could be plunged into electoral limbo. Across the world, newspapers were forced to yank or change headlines proclaiming a Bush victory and even some leaders jumped the gun on congratulating the Texas governor.

''It seems incredible to me how the elections are going in the United States, which is globally considered the father of democracy,'' said Alphonse Kwem, a worker in an Internet cafe in Cameroon. ''Why didn't we get the results at the time they said we would?''

''What happened in Florida? It sounds like Italy!'' said Roman coffee bar owner Massimo Ruggeri. Italy has seen plenty of stormy elections and shaky results - leading to 58 governments in the postwar period.

Journalists for Cuba's state media blamed fraud for the results in Florida, home to the majority of its exiles - Cuban leader Fidel Castro's bitterest enemies.

''Fraud is not new in the American political system and it is not new in Florida,'' said Raul Taladrid, a frequent host on Cuban television.

International markets showed nervousness over the political uncertainty. Following weakness on Wall Street, Tokyo's benchmark 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average finished down 2.2 percent Thursday.

The markets, however, were not expected to be too depressed over the delay ''because we're not on the edge of a constitutional crisis,'' said Richard Gibbs, Macquarie Bank senior economist in Sydney, Australia.

Not everyone was on the edge of their seats over the U.S. election. In the Arab world, many see the United States as firmly behind Israel - and they did not expect that to change under Bush or Gore.

''It will only be a change of faces, but the U.S. policy will remain the same and has one basic goal: blind and permanent bias in favor of Israel,'' said Syrian factory employee Marwan Mohammed.

In Cuba, Castro lampooned low voter turnout in the United States by spending the day at the beach. State television Wednesday night showed the bearded Castro walking along the shore in his typical olive green uniform and boots, and running into an unidentified American tourist.

''Like the majority of Americans, you have gone to the beach,'' Castro told the man.