VOA常速英语2007-Ivory Coast Opposition Rallying for Fair Electio

By Phillip Wellman
Dakar
05 October 2007

Opposition¹ leaders in divided Ivory Coast have recently been holding public rallies denouncing the government and telling their supporters to change the country through voting. Most analysts³ agree that the demonstrations⁴ are a democratic step towards presidential elections, but warn that if the government does not fulfill⁵ its promise of hastening the election process, the peaceful demonstrations could turn violent. Phillip Wellman reports from our West Africa bureau in Dakar.

Both former president Henri Konan Bedie and former prime minister Alassane Ouattara spoke⁶ at recent rallies, confirming they would be running in Ivory Coast 's next presidential election and urging their supporters to register to vote.

The election was supposed to be held in 2005, but has been postponed⁷ twice through U.N. resolutions as the county remains⁸ split in two. An independent electoral commission in Ivory Coast has said the next election is likely to take place in late 2008.

Bedie and Ouattara both say President Laurent Gbagbo has been oppressing the nation and that elections should take place as soon as possible. Bedie says the current administration is worse than colonialism.

President Gbagbo says he is trying to reverse decades of outside meddling⁹, especially by former colonial power, France.

Despite past tensions, the recent rallies were conducted peacefully. African analyst² for the London-based risk consultancy group Global Insight, Kissy Agyeman, says this proves Ivorians are tired of conflict.

"It seems like people are more ready for change," she said.  "Whereas maybe two or three years ago, when the civil conflict was still ongoing¹⁰, these sorts of comments could very easily have fuelled something or provoked a backlash. But now there is an acknowledgement that these comments are in keeping with this whole democratic process of election campaigning and promoting the party."

Agyeman says that the first signs of change came in March when Mr. Gbagbo and New Forces rebel leader Guillaume Soro signed a peace deal, which resulted in Soro becoming prime minister. The aim of the deal is to assure free and fair elections.

But she says that Mr. Gbagbo and Soro have since formed a bond that some hard-liners say is too close for comfort. Suspicions of a hidden agenda have been voiced, although Mr. Gbagbo and Soro have denied this.

Agyeman says the fact that most opponents are expressing their opposition in words rather than with violence is a good sign for a peaceful, future election.

"I think it is a value of healthy democracy because it definitely shows that the elections are on the horizon even though the precise date is not yet known," she added.  "It would be a worry if the opposition figures, especially the main ones, had nothing to say on the matter. It would create a sense of foreboding I would think."

Africa Confidential¹¹ analyst Patrick Smith agrees that hearing the opposition's voice is important in any democracy, but also says that the threat of renewed instability exists in Ivory Coast.

"I think one can say that things are better now than they were a year ago," he said.  "There is more hope. But the biggest hurdle¹² still needs to be jumped and that is the issue of the Ivorian identity question. And really until that is resolved - who is an Ivorian and who is entitled to join politics - I do not think you are going to see any lasting¹³ resolution to the crisis."

Civil war broke out in Ivory Coast in 2002, after rebels took up arms on behalf of millions of undocumented northerners who were being treated as foreigners and second-class citizens.

A program was recently initiated¹⁴ to issue identity papers to the northerners, which will in turn, allow them to register to vote.

Mr Gbagbo's side says only several hundred thousand northerners have been denied papers, but opposition supporters say the number is closer to several million.

The other key steps in the peace process, reunification of the army and disarmament of former fighters, have yet to be accomplished¹⁵.

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 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

3 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。

4 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

5 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

8 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。

9 meddling   

v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
• They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

10 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

11 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

12 hurdle   

n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛

参考例句：

• The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍，所以我必须要作好准备。
• She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。

13 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

14 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

15 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。