VOA常速英语2007年-Lebanese Lawmakers to Try Again to Elect Presid

By Alex Villarreal
Washington, D.C.
21 December 2007
 

The Lebanese Parliament will make its next attempt to elect a new president on Saturday. The post has been vacant since late November, when the country's pro¹-Syrian president stepped down. As VOA's Alex Villarreal reports, the deadlock² over the presidential vote stems from a fierce power struggle between pro and anti-Syrian forces in the parliament.

Lebanon's deeply divided parliament will meet again Saturday to try to elect a new president. The election has been postponed³ nine times since September.

Some parliament members have expressed frustration⁴ over the continuing stalemate. Samir Franjieh, a parliament member said, "There has been enough playing with the fate of this country, this is our reaction to what is going on. Let us elect a new president and let us close this chapter."

Lebanon has been without a president since November 23rd when pro-Syrian Emile Lahoud left office at the end of his term. His presidency⁵ was extended in 2004 after the assassination⁶ of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Hariri's death shook the country and led to the expulsion of the Syrian army from Lebanon.

The anti-Syrian March 14th movement and the pro-Syrian opposition⁷ party, which includes the militant⁸ group, Hezbollah, have been locked in a bitter power struggle ever since. This rivalry⁹ is at the root of the parliamentary impasse¹⁰ over the presidential vote.

Bilal Saab, of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington says this is a critical time for Lebanon. "The Lebanese are trying to rule themselves for once. The Syrians are out, not completely but they don't have a military presence in Lebanon. So I do believe these are crucial moments for Lebanon's future stability," he says.

Lawmakers on both sides have agreed to back army commander General Michel Suleiman for the presidency. But they cannot agree on how to amend¹¹ the constitution to allow General Suleiman to be elected. Nor can they agree on how to fill other government posts.

The stalemate has led to mounting international concerns over Lebanon's stability. A senior U.S. diplomat¹², Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs has been visiting Beirut to press for an end to the deadlock.

1 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

2 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

3 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。

4 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

5 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

6 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

7 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。

8 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

9 rivalry   

n.竞争，竞赛，对抗

参考例句：

• The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。
• He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。

10 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

11 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

12 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。