VOA标准英语2009年-Mauritania's Military Ruler Running for Pr

Mauritania's military ruler says he will run for president in elections he has scheduled for June. The military toppled Mauritania's first freely-elected leader eight months ago.
　
Mauritania's military ruler Gen. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (File)

General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz says he will resign his military commission and run for president June 6.

General Aziz announced his candidacy in an interview with the al-Arabiya television network, saying he will step down in three weeks and allow the President of the Senate to run the country during his campaign for the presidency¹. He says the move will both prevent a power vacuum and respect the constitution.

General Aziz came to power last August in a coup² that toppled the country's first freely-elected leader, Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi. The African Union suspended Mauritania and imposed a travel ban on members of the military government after General Aziz ignored its call to reinstate Mr. Abdallahi.

General Aziz says that would not serve the greater interests of the Mauritanian people. He says changing the constitution to allow retired³ soldiers to run in June elections better reflects what he calls Mauritania's "new political and cultural reality."

President Abdallahi says he will not take part in that vote and is urging his supporters to boycott⁴ the ballot⁵. The head of Mauritania's democratic opposition⁶, Ahmed Ould Dadah, says General Aziz's candidacy is illegal even if he resigns his military commission because Mauritanian law prohibits those who take power by force from running in the next election.

Mauritanian representatives for the U.S.-based National Democratic Institute told reporters in Nouakchott that the group will not monitor the June vote because it is a unilateral decision against constitutional order. The National Democratic Institute was one of the leading groups of election observers who validated⁷ President Abdallahi's 2007 election.

Parliamentary supporters of General Aziz say the June 6th election will go ahead with or without opposition participation⁸. Members of his ruling council are campaigning throughout the country, urging voters to take part in the poll and ignore the opposition boycott.

The U.S. State Department says attempts to silence President Abdallahi and plans to hold unconstitutional elections in June violate democratic norms.

1 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。

2 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。

3 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 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。

5 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

6 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。

7 validated   

v.证实( validate的过去式和过去分词 )；确证；使生效；使有法律效力

参考例句：

• Time validated our suspicion. 时间证实了我们的怀疑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The decade of history since 1927 had richly validated their thesis. 1927年以来的十年的历史，充分证明了他们的论点。 来自辞典例句

8 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。