VOA常速英语2007-Vote Counting Under way in Togo's Legislative El
时间：2019-02-05 作者：英语课 分类：2007年VOA常速英语（十月）
Dakar
15 October 2007
In Togo, vote counting is under way after Sunday's legislative 1 election, the first major challenge to the ruling party. Observers say election day was mostly problem free, except for a shortage of voting supplies. Phuong Tran has more from VOA's West Africa Bureau in Dakar.
More than 3,000 election monitors are tracking the count from the closely watched election in Togo.
The head of an 80-member E.U. monitoring team, Fiona Hall, says there were some problems on Sunday with the new sticker system of verifying ballots 2.
Observers said some polls in the capital ran out of stickers, which led to delays.
"I think the logistical difficulties that there were over the stickers were really because of the fact it was fairly a last-minute decision to have it and perhaps it was inevitable 3 that there would be one or two hiccups," said Hall.
The leading opposition 4 party, Union of Forces for Change, had pushed to verify the ballots with poll workers' signatures, a plan opposed by the ruling party, Rally for the Togolese People.
Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore suggested using stickers as a compromise and flew in three million just days before the election.
Mr. Compaore had mediated 5 an agreement between the opposition and ruling party after Togo's deadly presidential poll in 2005 that sent tens of thousands fleeing.
Election monitor Hall says even though some polls did not have enough stickers, people were still able to vote.
But the spokesman for the Union of Forces for Change, Jean Ekloh, says he fears ballots for the opposition will be invalidated because of the stickers.
Ekloh says the party is on guard because in recent elections, the results have not reflected the will of voters.
Since Togo introduced a multi-party system in the early 1990's, elections have been marred 6 by accusations 7 of fraud, security crackdowns and bloodshed.
EU election monitor Hall says Sunday's poll is proceeding 8 better than past elections.
"I think that given that human beings are not perfect, it is probably not possible to have a perfect election," said Hall. "The important thing is to have an election, which overall is very firmly going well, and I think that is where we are at the moment."
But she says it is still too early to evaluate the election.
President Faure Gnassingbe has said he is committed to a transparent 9 election, and will do everything possible to convince skeptics.
The electoral commission has said results will be available Wednesday, at the earliest.
More than two-thousand candidates from 32 parties, and some independents, are vying 10 for 81 positions.
The European Union and other donors 11 have said they will only consider investing more in Togo if it can hold a free and fair election.
- Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
- Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。
- They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
- The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。
- The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
- The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。
- He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
- The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。
- The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
- Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。
- There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
- He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。
- This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
- The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。
- The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
- The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。
- California is vying with other states to capture a piece of the growing communications market.为了在日渐扩大的通讯市场分得一杯羹，加利福尼亚正在和其他州展开竞争。
- Four rescue plans are vying to save the zoo.4个拯救动物园的方案正争得不可开交。