VOA常速英语2008年-Kenya Election Probe Set to Begin

By Derek Kilner
Nairobi
20 March 2008

Members of an international commission tasked with investigating the conduct of Kenya's disputed December elections have arrived in the country and have been sworn in.  Meanwhile, concerns are emerging about how a power-sharing agreement between the country's two main parties will operate. Derek Kilner has more from Nairobi.

The seven-person Independent Review Committee that will examine December's vote is chaired by Johann Kriegler, a former South African judge who headed that country's electoral commission in the mid-1990s.

"Our terms of reference relate to the electoral process, to the legislation, the administration, the execution, the planning of the elections, to find out if anything went wrong," he said.  "If so, what went wrong, why it went wrong, and most importantly, how we can avoid it going wrong again in future."

Other members of the commission include an election expert from Argentina, a judge from Tanzania, and four Kenyan lawyers, two picked by President Mwai Kibaki's Party of National Unity¹ and two picked by the Orange Democratic Movement of Raila Odinga, Mr. Kibaki's main challenger in the elections. The commission is to complete its work within three to six months.

Meanwhile, concern has been growing about how the power-sharing arrangement between the two sides will operate.  On Tuesday, parliament unanimously approved legislation to create the position of prime minister, to be filled by Mr. Odinga, as well as a cabinet split evenly between the two sides.

But on Wednesday, a leading MP from Mr. Kibaki's party, Danson Mungatana, criticized parliament for hurrying the legislation without settling how the coalition² government will work. He highlighted the lack of clarity over how disputes between the parties will be resolved.

Law Society of Kenya council member Evans Monari explained the concern.

"There is no mechanism³ for resolving disputes," he said.  "We don't want that every time we have a problem we have to call Kofi Annan in to help us solve our problems."

Legal experts say, despite the recent legislation enshrining the agreement in law, goodwill⁴ is the only thing that can hold the arrangement in place.

Harun Ndubi is director of the organization Haki Focus.  Haki is the Swahilli word for Justice.

"There were people who were looking gloomy in parliament, but they had to support the bill because that is what the two men wanted," he explained.  "And therefore, it is going to be critical that during this period of transition before we have a new constitution, they must continue showing that goodwill. If they fail to show the goodwill, then it may collapse⁵ the power arrangement." 

Monari says parliament should be acting⁶ now on the important questions of judicial⁷ and constitutional reform.  He warns that the current goodwill may not survive the envisioned year-long process to implement⁸ reform.

1 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

2 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。

3 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

4 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

5 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

6 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

7 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

8 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。