VOA标准英语2009-Guinea-Bissau Election Campaign Enters Final

Presidential candidates in Guinea-Bissau are campaigning hard across the country ahead of Sunday's vote. Eleven candidates are running to succeed long-time President Joao Bernardo Vieira, who was killed in March.
　
Crowds cheer at rally for ruling party candidate Malam Bacai Sanha in Bissau

Supporters of Guinea-Bissau's ruling-party candidate, Malam Bacai Sanha, rally outside the capital, promising¹ a big turnout in a district his chief rival, opposition² candidate Kumba Yala, won nine years ago.

In a country with fewer than two million people, campaigning is often at close quarters. Rival posters hang from the same apartment building and party offices stand across the street from each other, competing to see who can play their campaign songs the loudest.

Down the road from the Sanha rally, supporters of independent candidate Henrique Rosa say he is the only one who is looking out for the country's poor. Sanha supporters drive by on the back of an open truck, pointing to their wrists in reference to his slogan "Time for Change."

It is a relatively³ benign⁴ bit of electoral taunting⁵ that is met with waves from Rosa supporters in a country that has seen a series of violent changes of power since independence in 1974.

Who will replace Vieira?

Sunday's vote is a contest to succeed long-time President Joao Bernardo Vieira, who was killed by mutinous⁶ soldiers in March hours after his chief political rival died in a bomb blast.

Earlier this month, presidential candidate Baciro Dabo was killed by state security forces, who accused him of resisting arrest for plotting a coup⁷. Dabo's family say he was shot in his bed.

Military intervention⁸ in politics stems largely from the fight against Portuguese⁹ colonialism. Many political analysts¹⁰ in the region say the military considers that liberation struggle more legitimate¹¹ than the power civilian¹² politicians gain through elections.

Security sector¹³ reform tops recommendations by the International Contact Group on Guinea-Bissau - which includes members of the Economic Community of West African States, the United Nations, and the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries.

"There is a link between political actors who are manipulating the military," said Vladimir Monteiro, the United Nations information officer in Bissau. "Some militaries take advantage of their force and try to obtain something in exchange. But what we see is Guinea-Bissau is losing due to this kind of link, this combination between both sides."

Military interference?

Monteiro says politicians should stay out of the barracks and the military should be responsible only for protecting Guinea-Bissau's national sovereignty and serving in regional peacekeeping forces.

He says Sunday's vote is a chance to restore constitutional order and begin the process of reconciling historically rival factions¹⁴.

"We think that it will be a step and a moment to bring all the actors - political actors, military actors, and even civil society to discuss. Because we are talking about reconciliation¹⁵," Monteiro said. "And this reconciliation process has not started yet. And this election, maybe it will help."

Hope for peaceful future

Monteiro says reforming the security force is as much about establishing accountability for past violence as it is about setting the stage for a more peaceful future.

"In Guinea-Bissau we have had a lot of killings¹⁶," Monteiro noted¹⁷. "And it is not normal in a democratic state when you want to respect rule of law and human rights [that] a group comes and kills the president and nobody is accountable. And this is very important."

The regional ECOWAS alliance wants an independent investigation¹⁸ into this year's political violence. Two commissions of inquiry¹⁹ established in Bissau have made little progress. Monteiro says it is up to Guinea-Bissau to take the necessary steps to bring to justice those responsible for the killings.

1 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

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 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

4 benign   

adj.善良的，慈祥的；良性的，无危险的

参考例句：

• The benign weather brought North America a bumper crop.温和的气候给北美带来大丰收。
• Martha is a benign old lady.玛莎是个仁慈的老妇人。

5 taunting   

嘲讽( taunt的现在分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落

参考例句：

• She wagged a finger under his nose in a taunting gesture. 她当着他的面嘲弄地摇晃着手指。
• His taunting inclination subdued for a moment by the old man's grief and wildness. 老人的悲伤和狂乱使他那嘲弄的意图暂时收敛起来。

6 mutinous   

adj.叛变的，反抗的；adv.反抗地，叛变地；n.反抗，叛变

参考例句：

• The mutinous sailors took control of the ship.反叛的水手们接管了那艘船。
• His own army,stung by defeats,is mutinous.经历失败的痛楚后，他所率军队出现反叛情绪。

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 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

9 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

11 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

12 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

13 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

14 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

15 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

16 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

17 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

18 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

19 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。