Historic win sparks joy in Obama's Kenyan village, Pals applaud in Indonesia

by Sanjay Jha | November 4, 2008 at 11:57 pm

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World is hailing the victory of Democratic senator Barack Obama as Next President of the USA. One of the America's big critic Iran hailed the election of Barack Obama as the president of the US, saying the victory of the first black American dismantled the last racial barrier in the country’s politics.It said Obama’s victory signified the rejection by the American people of the era of incumbent George W. Bush. Iran’s relations with US during the presidency of Bush has been greatly strained over Tehran’s nuclear programme that Washington argued was a cover for the Islamic country’s plan to make nuclear bombs.

The Democratic candidate Barack Obama's late father was born in Kenya and Kenyans kept vigil in entertainment joints in the capital Nairobi throughout Tuesday night as they followed keenly and waited anxiously for the results and once the results were announced millions of Kenyans erupted in cheers and singing to celebrate the first African American victory in the historic U.S. elections.

Kenyans in Barack Obama's ancestral homeland sang and danced with joy on Wednesday as the Illinois Senator they see as one of their own became the first black US president.

A tropical downpour overnight failed to dampen spirits as hundreds gathered in a field at Obama's late father's village to watch the results relayed to a big screen.

As a pink dawn lit the sky, they clapped and cheered as key swing states fell to the youthful Democratic candidate they see as east Africa's favourite adopted son.

Then came the news they were waiting for: Obama had won.

"We are going to the White House! We are going to the White House!" relatives sang at the top of their voices as they danced around the family's modest homestead, pausing only to hug each other and hoist small children into the air.

The result was also celebrated by childhood friends of President elect Barack Obama Jakarta capital of Indonesia.

Ex-classmates of Obama have gathered in Jakarta applauded his victory. Obama spent four years in Indonesia after his American mother, Ann Dunham, married Muslim Indonesian Lolo Soetoro following the end of her marriage to Obama's Kenyan father.

Former classmates in Indonesia reacted with pride and amazement as the chubby little boy they knew as Barry made history by becoming the first black president of the United States.

"It's just amazing, I mean we're so proud of him," said Dewi Asmara Oetojo, an Indonesian member of parliament who was a school friend of Obama at primary school here in the 1960s.

"He was a very easygoing person and also very wise. At that time we were so small we never thought he had the qualities of a leader. He said 'I want to be president' and we all thought that was so funny," Oetojo said.

Oetojo said classmates were excited about having the president of the United States show up to their next three-monthly reunion, but understood that Obama might be a little busy.

"A reunion in the White House is not our target. Our task as classmates is to support him, but if we have the chance, why not?" she said.