VOA常速英语2007年-Cuban Elections to Determine Fidel Castro's Fut

By Brian Wagner
Miami
21 November 2007

Cuba has set January 20 as the date for national elections that will determine whether ailing¹ leader Fidel Castro will remain the island's president. In Miami, VOA's Brian Wagner reports the vote may confirm the transfer of power to Fidel's brother, Raul Castro.

State-run television announced the decision by Cuba's interim² leader Raul Castro to hold elections on January 20. The voting is held every five years to select the 609 members of the National Assembly as well as delegates to provincial³ bodies. Individuals must first be elected to the National Assembly to be eligible⁴ to serve on Cuba's Council of State, which is led by the president.

The question is whether ailing leader Fidel Castro will seek re-election to the National Assembly after temporarily handing power to his brother, Raul, 16 months ago. The 81-year-old Fidel has not been seen in public since undergoing stomach surgery in July of last year.

Uva De Aragon, associate director of the Cuba Research Institute at Florida International University, says the vote may confirm what many observers have been expecting.

De Aragon says the January vote may serve to formalize the unofficial changes that have been happening in Cuba's leadership, and confirm the transfer of power from Fidel to Raul Castro.

Cuban officials have not commented on a future presidential transition, which would mark the end of Fidel Castro's more than four decades in power.

Since taking over, Raul Castro has been criticized for announcing few changes to address an economic decline and political concerns on the island.

De Aragon says a formal transfer of power could embolden⁵ Raul to begin tackling the problems.

She says, if elected president, Raul Castro would begin to make the changes that Cuban people have been expecting.

De Aragon says many Cubans are hoping for economic reforms to end an economic slump⁶, and few expect to see a political opening in the Communist system in the short term.

Local elections were held last month.

The U.S. State Department has expressed concern that candidates in past elections were chosen through unions and other groups controlled by the Communist leadership.

1 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

2 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

3 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。

4 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

5 embolden   

v.给…壮胆，鼓励

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。
• The Prime Minister was steadily emboldened by the discovery that he faced no opposition.发现自己并未遭到反对，首相渐渐有了信心。

6 slump   

n.暴跌，意气消沉，（土地）下沉；vi.猛然掉落，坍塌，大幅度下跌

参考例句：

• She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
• Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。