2006年VOA标准英语-Imposed Son Faces Off Against Rebel in DRC Elec

By Nico Colombant
Kinshasa
28 October 2006

Sunday in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a military-installed son of a coup¹ leader faces off against a former Uganda-backed rebel in a runoff election for president. VOA's Nico Colombant profiles the two candidates, Joseph Kabila and Jean-Pierre Bemba. Both have said they will accept the results, whatever the outcome.

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The wife of transitional President Joseph Kabila praises her husband at a rally in the east of the Congo.

 
Joseph Kabila leads in East DRC
  
Joseph Kabila, 35, who hails from the eastern South-Kivu region, did not campaign himself during the second round. He cited security concerns for not campaigning after deadly clashes followed first round results.

He also refused to speak to a group of foreign journalists who went to the presidency² to interview him, but he did agree to speak with several handpicked Congolese journalists. The interview aired on Congolese television Friday night.

Speaking of himself in the third person, he said he would no longer tolerate what he called provocations³ to pull down the DRC. He said the time of chaos⁴ and confusion has passed. He said he is the candidate to stop all stupidity.

Jean-Pierre Bemba   
  
His opponent, Jean-Pierre Bemba, 44, was born in the northern Equateur province. He also has songs praising him.

This was his explanation to foreign and Congolese journalists invited to his offices on why he is the better candidate.

"I think because I know Congo very well. I know each town, each square meter of this country, because I traveled, by plane, by boat, by vehicle, jeep, helicopter, to meet the people of Congo during the rebellion time, even during the transition time," he said. "I lived also their conditions, how they live, mostly during the rebellion time. I understand their problems, what they live every day, in terms of health, in terms of education, in terms of employment, in terms of security. I am ready to give a solution, a concrete solution, to those different problems for the people of Congo."

Both candidates have spent lots of time abroad - Vice⁵ President Bemba studying in Belgium, while Mr. Kabila got training and education in Tanzania, Uganda and China.

Both have famous fathers. Bemba's father was one of the richest businessmen under former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

Mr. Kabila's father was the late coup leader Laurent Desire Kabila. After his father was assassinated⁶, possibly over a botched diamond deal, he was installed as president by the military at the young age of 29.

 
Kabila poster, Oct. 26, 2006
  
Unlike his father, though, he succeeded in implementing⁷ peace deals, and pushing out armies from half a dozen neighboring countries.

But Mr. Kabila's opponents have accused him of not being the son of Laurent Desire Kabila and not even being Congolese, but rather a handy successor for a clique⁸ of corrupt⁹ cadres.

Mr. Kabila has repeatedly denied this, and says no one is more Congolese than he is.

An independent journalist, Luc Roger Mbala, says this discussion is misguided, even if it did dominate campaign debates at a popular level.

"Until now, nobody showed us that Kabila is not the son of Laurent Desire Kabila and another thing I can say, we have many, many people who came from foreign countries," he said. "And we have a country of what you call in French, immigration country, like in the United States. The main problem is to see someone who can lead this country with the good materials, democratic materials."

Bemba supporters, Oct. 26, 2006   
  
In the first round Mr. Kabila fared very well in the east, while Bemba did better in the west. Voting was peaceful, but second round campaigning was marked by recurrent violence and acts of intimidation¹⁰.

A nationally televised debate between the two candidates was supposed to take place in the final hours of the campaign, but to the dismay of many Congolese, it was cancelled due to security concerns.

1 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

2 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

3 provocations   

n.挑衅( provocation的名词复数 )；激怒；刺激；愤怒的原因

参考例句：

• We cannot ignore such provocations. 对于这种挑衅，我们不能置之不理。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• They must immediately cease all their provocations. 他们必须停止一切挑衅。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

7 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

8 clique   

n.朋党派系，小集团

参考例句：

• The reactionary ruling clique was torn by internal strife.反动统治集团内部勾心斗角，四分五裂。
• If the renegade clique of that country were in power,it would have meant serious disaster for the people.如果那个国家的叛徒集团一得势，人民就要遭殃。

9 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

10 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• 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。