2007年VOA标准英语-Congo Ruling Party Takes Lead in Elections

By Franz Wild
Kinshasa
01 July 2007

Republic of Congo's President party has won nearly all the seats decided¹ in the heavily criticized first round of last Sunday's parliamentary elections. As Franz Wild reports for VOA from Kinshasa opposition² groups want the poll annulled³.

legislative4 election candidate Hugues Ngouelondele, son-in-law of Congo's President Denis Sassou Nguesso shows campaign t-shirt, 23 Jun 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070705/0811280.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Supporter of legislative election candidate Hugues Ngouelondele, son-in-law of Congo's President Denis Sassou Nguesso shows campaign t-shirt, 23 Jun 2007

Only two out of 46 seats decided in the June 24 first round went to the opposition.

The poll came under fire from opposition parties, many of which boycotted⁵ the vote. They said the vote was not free and fair as many citizens were not on the electoral roll or had no voting cards and were unable to vote. Many voting offices opened late or not at all.

Voting did not take place in 16 constituencies. They will catch up Friday.

The government last week fired the election's director, when it accepted flaws, but denied fraud. There will be no rerun as had been called for.

About two million voters were to elect members of a 137-member national assembly, dominated by President Sassou-Nguesso's Congolese Labor⁶ Party and its allies.

Former President Pascal Lissouba's Pan-African Union for a Social Democracy is the only opposition party assured to be in parliament.

In a 1997 coup⁷, Mr. Sassou-Nguesso ousted⁸ Mr. Lissouba, who had beat him in elections five years earlier, triggering two years of civil war that left 10,000 dead and 800,000 displaced.

Congo's second round run-off is set for July 22.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 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。

3 annulled   

v.宣告无效( annul的过去式和过去分词 )；取消；使消失；抹去

参考例句：

• Their marriage was annulled after just six months. 他们的婚姻仅过半年就宣告取消。
• Many laws made by the former regime have been annulled. 前政权制定的许多法律被宣布无效。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

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 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。