VOA标准英语2008年-Olmert to Quit as Israeli PM in September
时间：2018-12-08 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2008年（七月）
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he plans to step down as prime minister in September. VOA's Jim Teeple has the details from our Jerusalem bureau.
In a surprise announcement from his residence in Jerusalem, Ehud Olmert says he will step down as Israel's prime minister immediately after his Kadima Party selects a new leader at a party convention on September 17.
Mr. Olmert says he will not run in the Kadima Party primary and he will leave office once a new leader is chosen. He says he hopes a new party leader will be able to put together an effective government once he leaves office.
Ehud Olmert's decision follows months of mounting political pressure, and an official police inquiry 1 into whether or not he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars of illegal payments from a U.S. citizen long involved in political fundraising for Israel's right-wing Likud Party.
The allegations concern Mr. Olmert when he was a member of the Likud Party serving as mayor of Jerusalem, and as a cabinet member in the government of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Mr. Olmert has strenuously 2 denied the allegations and has survived several other probes into his conduct since he became prime minister in 2006.
Tamir Sheafer who teaches politics at Jerusalem's Hebrew University says there are at least two reasons behind Mr. Olmert's surprise announcement.
"There are polls that consistently show that even if Mr. Olmert did run he would have no chance to win the Kadima Party primary," said Sheafer. "Another reason is that we know there is a dispute among his legal advisors 3, with some of them arguing the best strategy for him is to resign to fight the allegations against him."
The race to succeed Ehud Olmert began even before his made his announcement to step down. Two of his cabinet colleagues, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz have said they will run for the post.
Whoever wins the contest will be faced with forming a coalition 4 government. Most analysts 5 say any such government will not last long and new national elections will likely take place early next year.
- Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
- The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。
- The company has strenuously defended its decision to reduce the workforce. 公司竭力为其裁员的决定辩护。
- She denied the accusation with some warmth, ie strenuously, forcefully. 她有些激动，竭力否认这一指责。
- The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
- We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网