VOA常速英语2007年-Nepalese Political Elements Agree on Elections

By Steve Herman
New Delhi
16 December 2007

The political parties in Nepal's fragile governing coalition¹ and the former rebel Maoists have tentatively agreed to hold elections by mid-April. The polling has twice been delayed by the Maoists demands for reform of the electoral system and the immediate² abolition³ of the monarchy⁴. VOA's Steve Herman reports from our South Asia bureau in New Delhi.

Negotiations⁵ among Nepal's political parties, including the Maoists, were under way Sunday to reach consensus⁶ on a precise date for a national election.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala says the parties agreed the previous day that the elections for a national assembly to write a new constitution would be held by mid-April. In a speech to regional students in Kathmandu, the prime minister said the remaining obstacles to elections would be resolved as soon as possible.

The spokesman for the United Nations Mission in Nepal, Kieran Dwyer, says after two delays during the past year, this latest announcement gives cause for renewed optimism that Nepal is getting back on track.

"The decisions between the seven-party alliance yesterday is certainly a significant sign of progress in the peace process here," he said. "The parties have been in intense discussions for the last several weeks and it appears that they now do agree on a constituent⁷ assembly election before mid-April.

The communist rebels, who fought a decade-long civil war against the monarchy have showed no signs of dropping their demand to immediately abolish the Nepalese throne.

U.N. spokesman Dwyer says this is one of several major sticking points in the ongoing⁸ talks between the six parties in government and the Maoists.

"There are certain issues in relation to the wording around the republican matter and exactly how that would be framed and when decisions would be finalized⁹ in the formed constituent assembly," he said. "There's some difference of opinion there. Secondly¹⁰, there seems to be a further discussion as to whether the Maoists would be [invited] into the government and under what conditions."

The Maoists also want all legislators for the constituent assembly selected through a proportional representation system.

Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, known as Prachanda, was quoted by Nepalese media as saying on Sunday that his group remains¹¹ adamant¹² on that position, despite reports of a compromise with the six other parties a day earlier.

A peace agreement was signed a year ago between the government and the communists. The former rebels came into the interim¹³ government for five months. They left in September contending promises made to them for equal representation in the peace process had not been met.

More than 30,000 soldiers of Nepal's Peoples' Liberation Army are in U.N.-supervised camps across the country. The Maoists' weapons and ammunition¹⁴ are all supposed to be in locked containers at seven of the camps with the keys held by the U.N. Mission in Nepal.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

3 abolition   

n.废除，取消

参考例句：

• They declared for the abolition of slavery.他们声明赞成废除奴隶制度。
• The abolition of the monarchy was part of their price.废除君主制是他们的其中一部分条件。

4 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

7 constituent   

n.选民；成分，组分；adj.组成的，构成的

参考例句：

• Sugar is the main constituent of candy.食糖是糖果的主要成分。
• Fibre is a natural constituent of a healthy diet.纤维是健康饮食的天然组成部分。

8 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。

9 finalized   

vt.完成（finalize的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The draft of this article has been finalized [done]. 这篇文章已经定稿。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The draft was revised several times before it was finalized. 稿子几经删改才定下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

11 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。

12 adamant   

adj.坚硬的，固执的

参考例句：

• We are adamant on the building of a well-off society.在建设小康社会这一点上，我们是坚定不移的。
• Veronica was quite adamant that they should stay on.维罗妮卡坚信他们必须继续留下去。

13 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

14 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。