2006年VOA标准英语-Zimbabwe's Divided Opposition Holds Congre

By Tendai Maphosa
Harare
17 March 2006

 
Morgan Tsvangirai
  

In Zimbabwe, thousands of delegates loyal to Morgan Tsvangirai, the president of the opposition¹ Movement for Democratic Change, are gathering² in the capital for the party's congress.  The meeting is meant to reinvigorate a party split by division last year.

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On the agenda of the MDC congress is the election of officers, some of whom will step into positions left vacant by those who broke away from the party.
 
Party chairman Isaac Matongo told VOA that Morgan Tsvangirai is the only candidate for the post of president. Matongo said the issue of the other faction³ that also claims to be the MDC is not on the agenda. He said members of that faction, if they wish, could rejoin the party as rank and file members, not leaders.
 
Matongo also said the meeting will discuss how to deal with President Robert Mugabe's government and the current economic problems facing the country.

"The turnaround of the economy of this country can only be done by [the] MDC, but we have tried elections -- we have tried everything. I think we have to change the tactic⁴, the road map has got to change and we are going to do it after congress. The people will choose because we are looking at the people's power and the people are the ones who are going to make the change."
 
Founded in 1999, the MDC has been the most serious challenge to Mr. Mugabe's 26-year rule.  The party came close to beating Mr. Mugabe's Zanu-P.F. party in the 2000 general and the 2002 presidential elections.  Both elections were characterized by violence, intimidation⁵ and allegations of rigging, leading local and international observers to conclude they were neither free nor fair.
 
Analysts, however, say the party has been weakened by its split last October over whether or not to participate in a poll for the reintroduced second chamber⁶ of parliament, or Senate. 

At first, the MDC had appeared to be united in its opposition to the reintroduction of the senate, fearing it would give the ruling Zanu-PF party even more power. But after ZANU-PF used its parliamentary majority to bring back the senate, the national council of the MDC narrowly voted for participation⁷ in the election of senators. Tsvangirai overruled that decision, leading senior party members who favored participation to go to the courts to try to remove him as president.

After the High Court upheld Tsvangirai's leadership, the pro-senate faction held its own congress.  At that meeting, Arthur Mutambara, a former student activist⁸ who had been out of Zimbabwe for the past 15 years, was elected president.
 
Mutambabra has publicly called for the reunification of the two sides, but MDC chairman Matongo said he has not approached Tsvangirai's group.  He added that in any case there is no room for Mutambara in the MDC Matongo also said as far as he is concerned there is just one MDC, and it is led by Tsvangirai and this weekend's congress is going to confirm this.

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 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

4 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

5 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

7 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。

8 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。