2006年VOA标准英语-Mauritanians Vote in Post-Coup Process

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
19 November 2006 
  

		Supporters stand by a poster of Islamist Moderate Party candidate Jamil Mansour during a late meeting, in Nouakchott, November, 17 2006

Mauritanians are voting heavily in post-coup¹ legislative² and municipal elections in the first step of the process to bring democracy to the sparsely³ populated desert state.

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Turnout was reported high in the capital, Nouakchott, and in the interior.

Journalist Salem Bokari says many of the more than one million registered voters feel this is their first free and fair vote, after repeated coups⁴ and rigged elections since independence from France in 1960.

"It seems there will be transparency and regularity⁵ in these elections for the first time in the history of the country," said Bokari.

More than three-fourths of polling centers opened on time, and voting was slow and orderly.

The 2005 coup leader, Colonel Ely Ould Mohammed Vall, says the election would be like a glass castle.

He told the journalists after voting this morning that this is a historical day for all Mauritanians. "They have their freedom. They are free to vote for who they want," he said.

Election officials pointed⁶ out several irregularities, with reports of voters in remote areas showing up at polling stations with pre-marked ballots⁷, or trying to vote with other people's identification.

The voting process will continue in December, with second-round legislative polls in jurisdictions⁸ where no candidate gets 50 percent in the first round. Next year, senate and presidential elections are scheduled to take place.

Members of the military junta⁹, which replaced long-term leader Maaouya Old Taya, have said they will not run in any of the polls.

Competition is fierce, with several dozen parties competing, and at least five with important support, including Old Taya's former party.

But a Nouakchott resident says Islamists grouped in a coalition¹⁰ called the Centrist Reformists, and others running as independents, were very impressive at campaigning.

"They are really organized, and they were really disciplined. Everything is done in a perfect way," he said. "Their campaign was the best this year If people will vote for them or not, we cannot say anything about it. But, from what I see, they are really organized, more organized than the other parties."

Previously¹¹, Islamists were barred from taking part in elections. Freed slaves in Mauritania, which straddles black Africa and Arab north Africa, also had their own party.

Many women were also campaigning and will be assured a sizable number of seats due to a quota¹² system on party lists.

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 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• 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。

3 sparsely   

adv.稀疏地；稀少地；不足地；贫乏地

参考例句：

• Relative to the size, the city is sparsely populated. 与其面积相比，这个城市的人口是稀少的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The ground was sparsely covered with grass. 地面上稀疏地覆盖草丛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 coups   

n.意外而成功的行动( coup的名词复数 )；政变；努力办到难办的事

参考例句：

• China has seen many political coups within the ruling class. 中国统治阶级内部发生过很多政变。 来自互联网
• Thailand has had eighteen coups or coup attendance since nineteen thirty-two. 泰国1932年以来有18次政变或参加政变。 来自互联网

5 regularity   

n.规律性，规则性；匀称，整齐

参考例句：

• The idea is to maintain the regularity of the heartbeat.问题就是要维持心跳的规律性。
• He exercised with a regularity that amazed us.他锻炼的规律程度令我们非常惊讶。

6 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

7 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• 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》

8 jurisdictions   

司法权( jurisdiction的名词复数 )； 裁判权； 管辖区域； 管辖范围

参考例句：

• Butler entreated him to remember the act abolishing the heritable jurisdictions. 巴特勒提醒他注意废除世袭审判权的国会法令。
• James I personally adjudicated between the two jurisdictions. 詹姆士一世亲自裁定双方纠纷。

9 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

10 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

11 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

12 quota   

n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额

参考例句：

• A restricted import quota was set for meat products.肉类产品设定了进口配额。
• He overfulfilled his production quota for two months running.他一连两个月超额完成生产指标。