2006年VOA标准英语-Thai Prime Minister Under Increasing Press

By Scott Bobb
Bangkok
15 March 2006

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is under increasing pressure to resign. He is facing growing protests and Wednesday his decision to hold early elections in April suffered a major setback¹. Mr. Thaksin says he is mulling all options now to end the political crisis.

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Thaksin Shinawatra  
  

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's effort to ride out the storm of protests against his government received another setback Wednesday when election officials disqualified more than a third of candidates for April 2's snap elections.

Most were disallowed² because they had not been registered with their political party for the required 90 days.

As a result, Mr. Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party is running unopposed in more than two-thirds of the constituencies - casting more doubt on the election called three years early to diffuse³ a growing political crisis.

The three main opposition⁴ parties are boycotting⁵ the vote - saying the only way to achieve reform is if Mr. Thaksin steps down.

The prime minister has been accused of corruption⁶ and abuse of power. His problems began in January when his family sold $2 billion worth of shares in the company he founded - tax-free. While legal, public reaction was critical.

There have been almost weekly anti-government rallies by tens of thousands of protesters.

  
  
This week, demonstrators began what they say will be a daily vigil outside the prime minister's offices until he resigns.

Campaigning in northeast Thailand Wednesday, Mr. Thaksin answered the latest round of questions from reporters - including whether he would be willing to step down temporarily.

He says he is considering all options and will make his decision when the time is right, based on what is good for the country - and not in reaction to pressure.

Mr. Thaksin, who was reelected by a landslide⁷ last year, still enjoys wide support in the countryside - where his populist health and rural-credit programs have had an impact.

The anti-Thaksin forces draw most of their support from the urban middle-class, which accuses him of corruption and of undermining checks-and-balances enshrined in Thailand's nine year-old constitution.

Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak says that neither side so far has been willing to compromise.

"I think we're at the point of an endgame. Pretty soon we'll see something approaching some kind of an exit for Thaksin, a negotiated exit, at which time there'll be some kind of a talk," he said.

Thitinan says a minority in Bangkok is trying to eject a popularly elected leader from office and this poses a new challenge to Thai democracy. He adds that it also underscores what he calls the rural urban divide in Thailand, which must also be addressed.

1 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

2 disallowed   

v.不承认（某事物）有效( disallow的过去式和过去分词 )；不接受；不准；驳回

参考例句：

• The judge disallowed that evidence. 法官驳回那项证据。 来自辞典例句
• Her claim was disallowed on the ground(s) that she had not paid her premium. 她要求赔款遭到拒绝，原因是她事先没有交纳保险费。 来自辞典例句

3 diffuse   

v.扩散；传播；adj.冗长的；四散的，弥漫的

参考例句：

• Direct light is better for reading than diffuse light.直射光比漫射光更有利于阅读。
• His talk was so diffuse that I missed his point.他的谈话漫无边际，我抓不住他的要点。

4 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。

5 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。

6 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

7 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。