Left keeps fingers crossed on Obama's victory

New Delhi, Nov 5 (UNI) Describing the victory of Democrat Barack Obama in the US Presidential Elections as a ''significant development in the history of the United States'', the two main Left parties, today said the outcome of the election also demonstrated the ''total rejection of George Bush's policies on domestic and international fronts''.

While the CPI(M) said hopes and expectations of the American people were very high, the CPI said it was now up to Mr Obama to come up to their expectation by reversing the US economic and foreign policies.

''Now, we have to wait and see what policy changes Obama brings in,'' CPM general secretary Prakash Karat told the media here.

''He was the Hobson's choice of the American voters,'' quipped CPI national secretary Shamim Faizi.

Senior Marxist leader Nilotpal Basu said it remains to be seen if the President-elect will usher in any basic changes in the US policy of unilateralism and reconcile the nation to a multipolar global polity.

''His campaign speeches did not show if Obama will bring any radical changes in the US policies, nor did he make any significant statement about India,'' Mr Basu added.

UNI KSA/SAA SBC CS1711