VOA常速英语2008年-Russia's Election Laws Favor Kremlin Candidate

By Peter Fedynsky
Moscow
01 March 2008

The rules and procedures of Sunday's Russia's presidential election are widely considered to favor candidate Dmitri Medvedev, President Vladimir Putin's designated choice to succeed him.  VOA Moscow correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports the Kremlin has framed the Medvedev candidacy in terms of stability.

On Friday, the last official day of a presidential campaign characterized by a lack of vigorous campaigning by the favorite and his three opponents, outgoing President Vladimir Putin said his successor faces large and complex tasks to keep the country moving forward.  Mr. Putin has actively¹ supported his designated choice, First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev.

Speaking to a nationwide TV audience, the incumbent² said everyone understands the scope and responsibilities that involve the president of a nation as large as Russia.  He added that citizens' trust in their leader is of vital importance to ensure stability in Russia.

Public opinion polls indicate a Medvedev victory is a virtual certainty.  His opponents are Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, who is seen as representing a discredited³ past, and the populist firebrand Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who threatened to punch another candidate, Andrei Bogdanov, during a televised debate.  Bogdanov, a complete political unknown, managed to get the required two million signatures to register as a candidate.  But former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, an experienced politician and outspoken⁴ Kremlin critic, was disqualified for allegedly forging signatures on his petition. 

Political analyst⁵ Alexander Konovalov of Moscow's Strategic Assessment⁶ Institute, says even Medvedev opponents do not expect to win.

The opposition⁷ candidates, says Konovalov, are like the dancing girls on stage behind a pop singer; they make for better appreciation⁸ of the music, but are all in the background.

Konovalov notes that Russia has never held an election according to routine constitutional rules.

They have been somewhat of a creative endeavor, says the analyst, beginning with closed meetings of the Communist Party Central Committee in Soviet⁹ times, and ending with the selection of a designated successor in this election.

President Putin defended candidate Medvedev's decision not to participate in debates, saying people are pleased with their achievements and plans, which need no further discussion.  But observer Andrei Kortunov of the Eurasia Foundation in Moscow says there is always room for criticism, because there are no limits on improvement.

Kortunov says a competitive political environment and any circulation of alternative ideas is a plus, not a minus.  If the authorities do not want that, he notes, it represents poor thinking or fear that alternative ideas may be more appealing.

Another frustrated¹⁰ presidential candidacy is that of former world chess champion Garry Kasparov, whose representatives said in December that authorities pressured landlords not to rent him a hall for a nominating convention. 

Kasparov is a leader of an opposition coalition¹¹ known as "The Other Russia."  It has announced protests on Monday in dozens of regions throughout Russia against what it says is the unconstitutional transfer of power to Dmitri Medvedev.  Russian authorities have frequently used force to disperse¹² previous demonstrations¹³ by The Other Russia.

1 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

2 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

3 discredited   

不足信的，不名誉的

参考例句：

• The reactionary authorities are between two fires and have been discredited. 反动当局弄得进退维谷，不得人心。
• Her honour was discredited in the newspapers. 她的名声被报纸败坏了。

4 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

5 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。

6 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

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 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

9 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

10 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 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。

12 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

13 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。