时间:2019-01-16 作者:英语课 分类:2006年VOA标准英语(三月)


英语课

By Joe Bavier
Abidjan
09 March 2006

Benin is awaiting results from presidential elections, as allegations of fraud are mounting. Sunday's vote started in confusion when the outgoing president said the process was lacking in transparency, but so far there is little evidence of any wrongdoing. 

-----------------------------------------------------


People stand in voting queues during presidential elections in Cotonou, March 5, 2006  
  

Officials from Benin's national elections commission say results from the first round vote are likely to be handed over to the constitutional court late Thursday or early Friday.

But in the days since Sunday's presidential election, fraud allegations that dogged the process even before the country's four million voters went to the polls continue to grow, threatening to tarnish 1 Benin's image as a bastion of stable democracy in the region.

Two of the 26 candidates who contested the first round want voting to be redone in parts of Benin. Others have denounced administrative 2 problems on election day that led to a lack of voting materials at many polling stations.

Supporters of the apparent front-runner, the former head of the West African development bank, Yayi Boni, accuse the government of intimidation 3. Still, social activist 4 and Boni supporter Paul Tevoedjre says Boni's supporters will continue to respect the peaceful atmosphere in which the elections took place.

"We don't want violence. We don't want bloodshed," he said. "We are doing everything [so] that there is no way we want bloodshed in Benin, especially for elections."

Security forces blocked Boni supporters from holding a news conference Tuesday. Outgoing President Mathieu Kerekou, speaking after casting his vote Sunday, said the election was marked by a lack of transparency.

However, international elections observers have called the vote free and fair. And Tevoedjre says he is not surprised by the this week's events.

"You know that those who are in power don't want to leave the power," said Tevoedjre. "It was the sugar in their mouths that was so sweet. And now, they are trying to find out the way they can try to maintain the old regime."

In spite of the early problems Sunday, which in many cases caused polling stations to open hours after the scheduled start times, the polls were held without much of the partisan 5 violence that regularly mars elections in the region.

And even as the debate over fraud allegations and election transparency continues, local journalist Gerard Guedegbe says the people of Benin have remained calm.

"We cannot say that there is some tension," he said. "Though of course there is very hot debate on politics and all this, because, since yesterday, some candidates, which are likely to win the election, have started negotiating with some potential candidates to get support."

A 48-hour protest window follows the announcement of first round results. A second round will be required two weeks later, if no single candidate wins an outright 6 majority.

Mr. Kerekou, who has been president for all but five years in the past three decades, was barred from running because of a constitutional age limit and a ban on seeking a third elected term.



n.晦暗,污点;vt.使失去光泽;玷污
  • The affair could tarnish the reputation of the prime minister.这一事件可能有损首相的名誉。
  • Stainless steel products won't tarnish.不锈钢产品不会失去光泽。
adj.行政的,管理的
  • The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
  • He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。
n.恐吓,威胁
  • The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
  • The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。
n.活动分子,积极分子
  • He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
  • He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。
adj.党派性的;游击队的;n.游击队员;党徒
  • In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中,他们忘掉一切党派之争。
  • The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。
adv.坦率地;彻底地;立即;adj.无疑的;彻底的
  • If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事,你应该直率地对我说。
  • You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。
学英语单词
actuating lever
ageing hardening
air launched cruise missile
Amphicoelia
approximation by operator
Atherolipin
athletic communication psychology
back out
baggage-rooms
beef-witted
bimorphic male
bottle track
brachyeardia
catch ratline
central tegmental tract
climatic stability theory
communication modem
counterguerilla
couplets on pillar
cylindruria
derne
design-construction team
dirty Sanchezes
Edlitz
electrolytic gravimetry
electronic inductivity
enterocardiovirus
Every bean has its black
exit jewel
fast loading
fault tolerant routing algorithm
feature-based design
fenestellae
filicanes
fluid state
full circle girder erecting crane
future light cone
grieve
histrionic
i-wived
identification of immature infant
Insiza
integrated trajectory system
issue in
kilogal meter
left internal spermatic vein
lifoes
low pump suction pressure
low-voltage capacitor discharge
make your bread
Mankayan
Mexican stand-off
National Association of Precancel Collectors
navarea warning service
nickums
nonmythic
North Fareham
octonare
Olorani
Oseen force
outcools
paciest
padbolt
panoptically
pinest
plane bed
plusia agnata staudinger
polytropic expansion
promotion and transfer
propositional dynamic logic
protanabol
quarter moon
radiatio
radio environment
regular epitaxy
road level
rotating contactor
sales representatives
sell't
shifting shaft
slugginess
soil bearing value
spice mixture
stinking rich
stitch line
subdermal vascular plexus free skin graft
subintrance
technically strong market
temperature expansion of pipes
terminal interchange
thyroid hormone evaluation
tongbok (dongbog)
trigyric
upbar
verbal creation
Vilna Gaon
vitamin b12 monocarboxylic acid
wako
Wiesentheid
wound heart wood
yahe (papua new guinea)
yoy