VOA标准英语2009年-New Madagascar Leader Prepares for Installation

The head of Madagascar's new transitional authority is preparing to take the oath of office despite criticism from the international community and its suspension from the African Union.
　
Madagascan opposition¹ leader Andry Rajoelina greets the crowd at a rally in Antananarivo, 18 Mar² 2009

Madagascar's new leader, Andry Rajoelina, takes the oath of office Saturday amid hope that his transitional government will end months of political instability.

The country's Supreme³ Constitutional Court says he will not be inaugurated and will not be called president of the republic because he was not chosen through a democratic election as required by the constitution.

The former opposition leader came to power after his predecessor⁴, Marc Ravalomanana, resigned and handed power to the military. The military then handed power to Mr. Rajoelina.

A leading authority on constitutional law, Antananarivo University President Jean-Eric Rakotoarisoa, blames the former president for Madagascar's situation.

He says we left the constitution when Mr. Ravalomanana transferred his powers to the military. The president may only resign his office and then the president of the Senate assumes the presidency⁵ temporarily.

Rakotoarisoa says Madagascar is now on the path back to legitimacy⁶ because it is entering a transition between two democratic regimes.

The controversial transfer was endorsed⁷ this week by Madagascar's Constitutional Court which has become the source of legitimacy for the fledgling regime.

Mr. Rajoelina's transitional authority that is to oversee⁸ the drafting of a new constitution and elections within two years. The authority's members will come from political parties, civil society and the military.

It is hoped that the new structure will end months of civil unrest that killed more than 100 people and paralyzed economic activity.
　
Monja Roindefo in Antananarivo, 19 Mar 2009

The new government's prime minister, Monja Roindefo, told VOA the first task is to restore stability.

"The top priorities are to reestablish order, public security, to secure [assure] international investors⁹ in Madagascar, to secure multilateral, bilateral¹⁰ cooperation," he said. "We have to give them guarantees that we have taken the power not to cut everything [relations] but in order to improve."

He said other goals are to re-establish democracy and create a government that is open to all political tendencies.

But his government is meeting some international resistance. The African Union Friday suspended Madagascar saying the new government is unconstitutional.

The Southern African Development Community, the European Union and the United States agree.

Prime Minister Roindefo rejects the charge. "The African Union charter says first that the people have the right to defend themselves against the oppression of a dictator," he said. "So it is a universal right. We are within the framework of a universal quest for democracy."

He says his government will continue to plead its case before its international partners because it needs their assistance now more than ever.

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 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

3 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。

4 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

5 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

6 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

7 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

9 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

10 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。