Biden Books Place In US Presidential Elections, Rival Trump Almost There

US president Joe Biden on Wednesday secured his nomination as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate for the elections later this year, setting up a rematch with former President Donald Trump, US media said.

According to US media, Mr Biden, who needed 1,968 delegates to win the nomination, passed the number in the primary contest in Georgia, while similar results are expected in the states of Mississippi, Washington and the Northern Mariana Islands.

To choose a presidential nominee, an indirect election or primary is held where voters decide the number of delegates each party convention receives and these delegates in turn select the party's presidential nominee. In primaries, candidates need a majority of delegate votes at the convention to win the party's presidential nomination.

"Voters now have a choice to make about the future of this country. Are we going to stand up and defend our democracy or let others tear it down? Will we restore the right to choose and protect our freedoms or let extremists take them away?" news agency Reuters quoted Mr Biden as saying, soon after the win.

Former US president Donald Trump is expected to repeat a similar success for the Republican Party later today after his last rival for the Republican nomination Nikki Haley ended her campaign following his victory in 14 of 15 state contests on "Super Tuesday" last week.

Biden vs Trump: The Challenges

The 77-year-old, who is the first former US president to go on trial in a criminal case to hide hush money payments to a porn star, has been juggling court appearances while on the campaign trail. Mr Trump faces 91 felony counts on four indictments including attempting to overturn the 2020 election. He is also the only American president to be impeached twice.

Mr Biden's return to the White House has been obstructed by majority voters believing he is too old to serve another four-year term. The ongoing crisis at the US-Mexico border, where an influx of migrants has overwhelmed the system, is another weakness for the 81-year-old leader. The recent murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley allegedly by an illegal immigrant has also become a flashpoint with the two parties.

After a fiery State of the Union address, the US president hit out at his Republican rival accusing him of threatening democracy. "I will not bow down," he declared as he vowed to reinstate Roe vs Wade to stop the Republicans' push to restrict abortion rights.

With agency inputs