Democratic Party unanimously nominates Clinton for president - a first for women

Hillary Clinton made history on Tuesday becoming the first woman to be nominated by a major political party for the president of the US after a dramatic end to a fractious campaign when her insurgent rival, Bernie Sanders, had her nominated unanimously by acclamation.

When the voting of all the states and territories were announced, Sanders asked to suspend the process and nominate her by acclamation without counting the delegate votes. The Convention immediately approved the nomination with loud cheers.

However, some of his supporters persisted in opposing Clinton and shouted their opposition.

The formal nominating session began with Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu to be elected to Congress, invoking Mahatma Gandhi to formally nominate Sanders, the progressive with broad appeal.

Gabbard spoke of the revolutionary changes Sanders brought to the election process and the political discourse with his progressive, anti-establishment agenda, and said the movement would continue. She quoted Mahatma Gandhi's quotation: "A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchableAfaith in their mission can alter the course of history."

"We will fight for the change we need and we will never forget our leader," she said.

Earlier as the counting of delegates from states and territories continued, a young Indian woman, Struti Palaniyappan introduced Iowa's voting announcement. Sanders won the majority only in 11 states and territories.

His state, Vermont, passed its turn to announce its vote and after all the states had announced theirs, its leaders took their turn and announced a majority for him. Sanders dramatically stood up to ask for suspending the voting and nominate by acclamation.

But the party still has to get all his supporters on board as some persisted in opposing the Clinton nomination.

(Arul Louis can be reached at the Democratic Party Convention in Philadelphia at aru.l@ians.in)

--IANS

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