VOA标准英语10月-Zimbabwean Leaders Fail to Agree on Cabinet

Two weeks after the signing of a power-sharing agreement, Zimbabwe leaders Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai have again failed to agree on the allocation of some key ministries¹. From Harare, Tendai Maphosa has more for VOA.

On his return from the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York City, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe said a government would be in place by the end of the week. But after meeting Tuesday with prime minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai, an agreement could still not be reached.

The Movement for Democratic Change Policy Coordinator² General Eddie Cross told VOA that both leaders had not altered their positions from the last time they met, before Mr. Mugabe's departure for New York.

"Mugabe is demanding all the senior positions in Cabinet. Obviously we are not going to accept that not even for five minutes so the impasse³ continues," he said.

Cross says the portfolios⁴ in question are Home Affairs, Finance, Foreign Affairs and Local government.
　

South African President Thabo Mbeki (file photo)

After last month's meeting the leaders had agreed to have their negotiating parties try to reach a compromise. Those negotiations⁵ never happened since mediator⁶ Thabo Mbeki was dismissed as South Africa's president before he could meet with the negotiating parties.

Cross says there is no meeting scheduled at the moment, but the matter is being dealt with by the Southern African Development Community.

"The mediation⁷ thing is in limbo⁸ at the moment, although Mr. Zuma and the new president of South African both intimated that they want Thabo Mbeki to continue with the mediation and to finish what he started," added Cross. "The South African president's office is referring all enquiries to the SADC in Gaborone and SADC is trying to sort it out."

Meanwhile the cash shortage crisis in Zimbabwe is getting worse, despite the increase of the daily bank withdrawal⁹ limit. Long lines can be seen outside banks hours before they open and into early evening after the banks close as they try to serve all those who joined the queue before closing time.

1 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

2 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

3 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

4 portfolios   

n.投资组合( portfolio的名词复数 )；（保险）业务量；（公司或机构提供的）系列产品；纸夹

参考例句：

• Price risk arises in non-trading portfolios, as well as in trading portfolios. 价格风险中出现的非贸易投资，以及在贸易投资组合。 来自互联网
• How do we fatten our portfolios and stay financially healthy? 我们怎样育肥我们的投资结构和维持财政健康呢？ 来自互联网

5 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。

6 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

7 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

8 limbo   

n.地狱的边缘；监狱

参考例句：

• His life seemed stuck in limbo and he could not go forward and he could not go back.他的生活好像陷入了不知所措的境地，进退两难。
• I didn't know whether my family was alive or dead.I felt as if I was in limbo.我不知道家人是生是死，感觉自己茫然无措。

9 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。