2007年VOA标准英语-Nigerian Ruling Party Official Seeks End to Ele

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
30 September 2007

A Nigerian ruling party official says the legal challenge against President Umaru Yar'Adua's election is a distraction¹ and should be dropped. From the Nigerian capital, Abuja, Gilbert da Costa reports the two leading opposition² presidential candidates have come under pressure to withdraw their suits.

 

 The lawsuits³ by former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari and ex President Atiku Abubakar seek a court annulment⁴ of last April's presidential election. The opposition candidates say the vote was rigged in favor of their main rival, President Umaru Yar'Adua.

All three candidates are Muslims from the north of the country.

 

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party national executive member, Abdullahi Jalo, says the overall political interest of the homogenous⁵ north would best be served by the discontinuation of the legal challenge to Mr. Yar'Adua's election.

 

"The mounting pressure on Buhari and Atiku, it is our culture. We the northerners, we are one family," said Jalo. "We do not want people to infiltrate⁶ us. This is our culture in the north. We do not fight against ourselves. If we quarrel, we go and sit down and settle. That is the position."

 

April's polls marked the first democratic handover of power from one elected president to another in Africa's most populous⁷ country.

 

But fraud, violence and intimidation⁸ were so widespread election monitors dismissed the process as a charade⁹.

 

European Union observers said the elections "fell far below basic international standard" and were not "credible¹⁰."

 

Analysts¹¹ say Mr. Buhari and Mr. Abubakar have resisted pressures, intimidation and frustrations¹² to pursue their challenge and would likely see the process through to the every end.

 

Mr. Buhari's spokesman Osita Okechukwu says the former military ruler is keen to expose the electoral fraud in the interest of Nigeria's democracy.

 

"The issue is not about the north. It is about democracy, the sanctity of the ballot¹³ box, the people's inalienable right to elect their leaders and not the imposition of leadership," said Okechukwu. "The world cannot be wrong that the April election was flawed. Nobody can wish it away. We have implicit¹⁴ confidence in the judiciary."

 

President Yar'Adua has acknowledged the election was flawed but said he believed he had the mandate¹⁵ of the Nigerian people.

 

He also set up a 21-member panel to reform Nigeria's electoral system.

1 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

2 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。

3 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

4 annulment   

n.废除，取消，（法院对婚姻等）判决无效

参考例句：

• The annulment caused a profound impression in Japan. 同盟的废止，在日本发生了强烈的反响。 来自辞典例句
• Law An annulment acquittal; dismissal, of a court order. 取消，宣告无罪；法院命令的撤销。 来自互联网

5 homogenous   

adj.同类的，同质的，纯系的

参考例句：

• Japan is a wealthy,homogenous,developed nation with a stable political system.日本是一个富裕的同质型发达国家，政治体制稳定。
• My family is very homogenous and happy.我们这个家庭很和睦很幸福。

6 infiltrate   

vt./vi.渗入，透过；浸润

参考例句：

• The teacher tried to infiltrate her ideas into the children's minds.老师设法把她的思想渗透到孩子们的心中。
• It can infiltrate as much as 100 kilometers into enemy territory at night.可以在夜间深入敌领土100千米。

7 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

8 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。

9 charade   

n.用动作等表演文字意义的字谜游戏

参考例句：

• You must not refine too much upon this charade.你切不可过分推敲这个字谜。
• His poems,despite their dignity and felicity,have an air of charade.他的诗篇虽然庄严巧妙，却有猜迷之嫌。

10 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

11 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。

12 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

13 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

14 implicit   

a.暗示的，含蓄的，不明晰的，绝对的

参考例句：

• A soldier must give implicit obedience to his officers. 士兵必须绝对服从他的长官。
• Her silence gave implicit consent. 她的沉默表示默许。

15 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。