The head of the Democratic Party, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, has resigned amid a furore over leaked emails. She resigned on Sunday hoping to avoid a growing rebellion by Bernie Sanders supporters on the eve of the convention to nominate Hillary Clinton for the White House.
Lingering bitterness from the heated primary campaign between Clinton and Sanders erupted after more than 19,000 Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails, leaked on Friday, confirmed Sanders’ frequent charge that the party played favourites in the race.
In a statement, Debbie Wasserman Schultz said the best way for the party to accomplish its goal of putting Clinton in the White House was for her to step aside after the convention. Sanders had demanded earlier in the day that Wasserman Schultz resign. The four-day Democratic convention will open on Monday.
The furore was a blow to a party keen on projecting stability in contrast to the volatility of Republican candidate Donald Trump, who was formally nominated at a raucous convention in Cleveland last week.
It also overshadowed preparations in Philadelphia for Clinton’s coronation as the nominee to face Trump in the 8 November presidential election. She will be the first woman nominated for president by a major US political party.
Sanders Supporters Left Fuming
A cache of emails leaked on Friday by the WikiLeaks website disclosed that DNC officials explored ways to undermine Sanders’ insurgent presidential campaign, including raising questions about whether Sanders, who is Jewish, was really an atheist.
Sanders said Wasserman Schultz, a US representative from Florida, had made the right decision for the future of the Democratic Party.
The party leadership must also always remain impartial in the presidential nominating process, something which did not occur in the 2016 race.Bernie Sanders, US Democratic Party
The emails angered many Sanders supporters who were already dismayed by Clinton’s choice on Friday of low-key US Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia as her vice presidential running mate. Kaine, 58, who could appeal to independents and moderates, has never been aligned with party liberals.
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