2006年VOA标准英语-Election Observers in DRC Comment on Preparatio

By Scott Bobb
Johannesburg
27 October 2006

Election officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo are making final preparations before Sunday's presidential run-off election. Thousands of observers have deployed¹ across the country to monitor the vote.

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Joseph Kabila (file photo)   
  
Observers say the first round of Congo's presidential elections on July 30 were mostly orderly, but that they were marred² by administrative³ irregularities and by violence afterward⁴ in some parts of the country.

President Joseph Kabila won 44 percent of the vote, and, on Sunday, will face runner-up candidate Jean-Pierre Bemba, who polled 20 percent.

The coordinator⁵ of the Carter Center's observer team in the country, Colin Stewart, says that during the first round of the elections, his team identified a number of weaknesses.

"The Electoral Commission addressed all of those issues, in our view, quite comprehensively," he said.  "What remains⁶ to be seen is how thoroughly⁷ these new procedures can be implemented⁹ on the ground."

Jean-Pierre Bemba  
  
Stewart worries that a lack of infrastructure¹⁰ in the country has made it difficult to disseminate¹¹ information on the new procedures in time.

He adds that mistrust between the two candidates, which was aggravated¹² by the clashes in August that left several dozen dead in Kinshasa, is creating tension.

The northeastern Ituri region, bordering Uganda, continues to experience violence between militias¹³ and Congolese troops that has killed an estimated 60,000 people and displaced 200,000 more.

The regional coordinator for the Justice-Plus observer group there, Joel Bisubu, says that the mood now is much calmer than during the first round.

Supporters of President Joseph Kabila chant slogans in Kinshasa, Oct. 26, 2006   
  

He says, however, that, unlike the first round, there are no rallies, no debates and few impromptu¹⁴ gatherings¹⁵ in front of the candidates' headquarters.  He says this campaign is mostly one of posters, T-shirts and hats.

But he says people say they are determined¹⁶ to vote. He hopes the process will be orderly.

In southeastern Katanga Province, the regional coordinator of the MOPI observer group, Jean-Didier Kabongo, says, as he watches a rally in the provincial¹⁷ capital of Lubumbashi, that the campaigning there is lively.

He says some party militants¹⁸ have torn down campaign posters, and have disrupted the rallies of rival candidates. But he says his group is working hard to educate the populace to campaign peacefully and accept the results of the polling.

 
UN increases presence in Kinshasa 
  
The southern province of Eastern Kasai is a bastion of veteran opposition¹⁹ leader Etienne Tshisekedi, who boycotted²⁰ the election. As a result, voter turnout in this region was low, and several polling stations were attacked. But the regional coordinator for MOPI there, Elie Kasongo, reports from the provincial capital of Mbuji-Mayi that the situation has changed.

He says, this time, the campaign is heated, with rallies of cars and motorcycles, but there has been no violence. And, he says, everyone, young and old, says they intend to vote.

Stewart of the Carter Center observer group remains hopeful going into the run-off. He says, despite problems during the first round, the fact that they were minor²¹ has boosted confidence in the electoral process.

"The population now is taking this process seriously, and is investing in the process as a way of choosing their leaders," he noted²².  "On the other hand, given the political tension, there is a lot of apprehension²³ amongst the population."

He says that if the Electoral Commission is able to implement⁸ the proposed reforms, it will produce a well-run election. Then, the only remaining concern will be whether the results are accepted by all.

1 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

2 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

3 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

4 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

5 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？

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

8 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

9 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

10 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

11 disseminate   

v.散布；传播

参考例句：

• We should disseminate science and promote the scientific spirit.普及科学知识，弘扬科学精神。
• We sincerely welcome all countries to disseminate their languages in China.我们真诚地欢迎世界各国来华推广本国语言。

12 aggravated   

使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火

参考例句：

• If he aggravated me any more I shall hit him. 假如他再激怒我，我就要揍他。
• Far from relieving my cough, the medicine aggravated it. 这药非但不镇咳，反而使我咳嗽得更厉害。

13 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

14 impromptu   

adj.即席的，即兴的；adv.即兴的(地)，无准备的(地)

参考例句：

• The announcement was made in an impromptu press conference at the airport.这一宣布是在机场举行的临时新闻发布会上作出的。
• The children put on an impromptu concert for the visitors.孩子们为来访者即兴献上了一场音乐会。

15 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

16 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。

17 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

18 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

19 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。

20 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

21 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

22 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。

23 apprehension   

n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑

参考例句：

• There were still areas of doubt and her apprehension grew.有些地方仍然存疑，于是她越来越担心。
• She is a girl of weak apprehension.她是一个理解力很差的女孩。