VOA常速英语2008年-Ethiopia's Ruling Party Headed For Election Swe

By Peter Heinlein
Addis Ababa
11 April 2008

Ethiopia's ruling party appears headed for a massive victory in local and parliamentary by-elections being held across the country over the next two Sundays. VOA's Peter Heinlein in Addis Ababa reports the opposition¹ is crying foul², and the largest opposition party is boycotting⁴.

Days before the voting is set to begin, the main opposition United Ethiopian Democratic Force (UEDF) said it was withdrawing, and urged voters to stay away from the polls. That sets the stage for the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) to win big majorities on local councils, giving them significant influence in crucial parliamentary elections two years from now.

In a VOA interview, UEDF Party chairman Beyene Petros said his party decided⁵ to boycott³ after determining the vote was rigged in the ruling party's favor.

"This is not an election," he said.  "This is a farce⁶ drama.  OK, if it is an election, democratic multi-party election, who are they competing against?"

Beyene says the ruling EPRDF has registered nearly four million candidates for local councils, while the electoral board disqualified the vast majority of opposition candidates.  He says the disqualifications create the conditions for establishment of one-party rule in Ethiopia.

"This is a single party dominant⁷ system," he added.  "That's what they want to put in place. We have to struggle to change the system along the way, but this time around, let them have it alone."

The head of the EPRDF Organization and Political Bureau, Bereket Simon, scoffed⁸ at the idea that there is any attempt to rig the elections, or to intimidate⁹ the opposition.  Bereket told VOA the electoral board had registered everyone who had come with the proper credentials¹⁰. He said the failure of some opposition parties to register candidates was an indication of what he called 'an unhealthy attitude' toward the local election process.

Another senior opposition figure Bulcha Demeksa, leader of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement, said his party had decided to stay in the election, but only because dropping out would fuel separatist forces in Ethiopia's heavily-populated Oromo region. He says opposition parties are facing extinction¹¹ in the face of a determined¹² ruling party onslaught.

"I also see opposition is going to maybe die at the end," he said.  "I cannot see how opposition parties can survive with this extremely determined strike by the government and the National Election Board. They cannot survive.  No funds. They are completely surrounded by extremely anti-democratic forces."

Bulcha charged that Ethiopian democracy had taken many steps backward since 2005, when 200 people, mostly opposition activists¹³, were killed in post-election clashes with security forces. Tens of thousands of others were jailed.

Ruling party chief Bereket called the allegation 'baseless', and said it is unfortunate that Beyene Petros's UEDF is boycotting this month's vote.

Human Rights Watch, however, said Ethiopian government repression¹⁴ of the opposition had largely prevented political competition. The U.S.-based rights group issued a statement Friday saying it is too late to salvage¹⁵ the elections, which it called a "rubber stamp on the EPRDF's near-monopoly on power at the local level.

1 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。

2 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

3 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

4 boycotting   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店，因为那里的店员在罢工。
• The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。

5 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。

6 farce   

n.闹剧，笑剧，滑稽戏；胡闹

参考例句：

• They played a shameful role in this farce.他们在这场闹剧中扮演了可耻的角色。
• The audience roared at the farce.闹剧使观众哄堂大笑。

7 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

8 scoffed   

嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scoffed at our amateurish attempts. 他对我们不在行的尝试嗤之以鼻。
• A hundred years ago people scoffed at the idea. 一百年前人们曾嘲笑过这种想法。

9 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

10 credentials   

n.证明，资格，证明书，证件

参考例句：

• He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
• Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。

11 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

12 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

13 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

15 salvage   

v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救

参考例句：

• All attempts to salvage the wrecked ship failed.抢救失事船只的一切努力都失败了。
• The salvage was piled upon the pier.抢救出的财产被堆放在码头上。