VOA常速英语2007-Pakistan Political Landscape Still Uncertain Des

By Gary Thomas
18 October 2007

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's return to Pakistan Thursday after eight years of self-imposed exile does not automatically clear the uncertainty¹ in Pakistan's political landscape. VOA correspondent Gary Thomas reports, it is only a first step.

Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party organized a welcome by thousands of jubilant supporters for her arrival in Karachi.

But general elections are still several months off, and it is not clear if the street power on display Thursday will translate into votes. Analysts³ say there are still formidable obstacles in the way of Bhutto achieving her ultimate goal: a return to the prime minister's chair that she held, and lost, twice in the 1990s.

Former State Department intelligence analyst² Marvin Weinbaum says Bhutto is trying to present a new image to the Pakistani public.

"She is very anxious to convey the idea that she has learned from her mistakes, although she doesn't really admit that there were mistakes. But, she wants to give the impression that this is a fresh start," he said.

Facing prosecution⁴ for alleged⁵ corruption⁶, Bhutto left Pakistan in 1999, the same year General Pervez Musharraf mounted a bloodless coup⁷ against then prime minister Nawaz Sharif. To ensure she would not be arrested upon returning this week, Bhutto entered into negotiations⁸ with President Musharraf, who recently granted her amnesty on the corruption charges.

But Teresita Schaffer, former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for South Asia, says the talks did little to enhance the popularity of either Bhutto or General Musharraf.

"Pakistanis have rather soured on General Musharraf, but Benazir Bhutto's popularity has not, perhaps, held up as well as she might have hoped. There's a certain amount of disillusionment about the negotiating process with which she undertook before she came back," she said.

General Musharraf sparked significant protests against his rule earlier this year, when he tried to fire the chief justice of the Supreme⁹ Court. That public anger, say analysts, emboldened¹⁰ both Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to attempt political comebacks.

The provincial¹¹ assemblies and national parliament re-elected General Musharraf president October 6, but the Supreme Court said the outcome could not be certified¹² until legal challenges to his candidacy were resolved. The opposition¹³ claims the re-election was illegal because General Musharraf ran for president while still holding onto his post as chief of the military.

He has said he will relinquish¹⁴ his uniform, if his reelection is confirmed.

The Supreme Court is also set to rule on a number of other issues that will help determine Pakistan's political future.

 

Other legal challenges to aspects of General Musharraf's rule are still under consideration, including the decision to deport¹⁵ former prime minister Sharif, who also lived in self-imposed exile, when he attempted to return to Pakistan last month. And the court has said Bhutto's amnesty is subject to legal review as well.

Another issue that could involve court arbitration¹⁶ is an ordinance¹⁷ promulgated¹⁸ by President Musharraf which stipulates¹⁹ that no one who has served twice as prime minister can serve a third term - a clear bar to Bhutto's ambition.

Schaffer says, even if Bhutto manages to achieve her goal of becoming prime minister again, there will still be tough negotiations over the relationship between the civilian²⁰ politicians and the powerful military establishment.

"If she gets over that hurdle²¹ and emerges as prime minister, then she and President Musharraf and the new army chief - assuming that President Musharraf does take off his uniform, which I expect he will, if his election is confirmed - but then the issue will be how do those three work out their relationship. My guess is that's going to be a very complicated process," she said.

Analysts say Bhutto and her supporters want to strip the president of his power to dismiss the prime minister and government, which happened to Bhutto twice in the 1990s, but that any such effort will encounter stiff resistance from the president's camp.

1 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

2 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

3 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

4 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

5 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

6 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

7 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。

8 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

9 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

10 emboldened   

v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine, he went over to introduce himself to her. 他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• His success emboldened him to expand his business. 他有了成就因而激发他进一步扩展业务。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

12 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

13 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• 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。

14 relinquish   

v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手

参考例句：

• He was forced to relinquish control of the company.他被迫放弃公司的掌控权。
• They will never voluntarily relinquish their independence.他们绝对不会自动放弃独立。

15 deport   

vt.驱逐出境

参考例句：

• We deport aliens who slip across our borders.我们把偷渡入境的外国人驱逐出境。
• More than 240 England football fans are being deported from Italy following riots last night.昨晚的骚乱发生后有240多名英格兰球迷被驱逐出意大利。

16 arbitration   

n.调停，仲裁

参考例句：

• The wage disagreement is under arbitration.工资纠纷正在仲裁中。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding.双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

17 ordinance   

n.法令；条令；条例

参考例句：

• The Ordinance of 1785 provided the first land grants for educational purposes.1785年法案为教育目的提供了第一批土地。
• The city passed an ordinance compelling all outdoor lighting to be switched off at 9.00 PM.该市通过一条法令强令晚上九点关闭一切室外照明。

18 promulgated   

v.宣扬（某事物）( promulgate的过去式和过去分词 )；传播；公布；颁布（法令、新法律等）

参考例句：

• Hence China has promulgated more than 30 relevant laws, statutes and regulations. 中国为此颁布的法律、法规和规章多达３０余项。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• The shipping industry promulgated a voluntary code. 航运业对自律守则进行了宣传。 来自辞典例句

19 stipulates   

n.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的名词复数 )；规定，明确要求v.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的第三人称单数 )；规定，明确要求

参考例句：

• The trade contract stipulates for the settlement of balances in RMB. 贸易合同规定余额以人民币结算。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The contract stipulates for the use of seasoned timber. 合同上订明用干透的木料。 来自辞典例句

20 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

21 hurdle   

n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛

参考例句：

• The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍，所以我必须要作好准备。
• She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。