VOA标准英语2010-Sudanese Government Blocks Independent El

A Sudanese woman casts her vote as representatives of candidates observe at a polling station during the second day of Sudan's first multiparty elections in decades, 12 April 2010

An online platform designed to facilitate independent monitoring of the Sudanese elections is being blocked, preventing citizens from reporting irregularities in the recent polls.

A statement released by the Paris-based organization Reporters Without Borders, says access to the independent election-monitoring website, Sudan Vote Monitor, has been blocked within Sudan for the past six days.

Sudan Vote Monitor has been independently monitoring the recent election and its results by allowing journalists, NGOs and citizens in Sudan to report on the voting process. Users can send text messages, upload video and post comments to highlight both positive and negative aspects of the poll to the website.

The data is then compiled by Sudan Vote Monitor and displayed both as a timeline and a map for independent assessment¹. 

The website is operated by the U.S.-based Sudan Institute for Research and Policy and the Khartoum-based Asmaa Society for Development. The project was developed using the Ushahidi platform, which was created in 2008 to monitor and record incidents of violence after the disputed 2007 presidential election in Kenya.

But during the past week, users in Sudan have only been able to access the website intermittently², while others have had no access at all.

Reporters Without Borders urged Sudanese authorities to ensure open access to the website, and while it is unclear who is responsible, the head of New Media for the organization, Lucie Morillon, says the restriction³ does not help anyone.

"Especially in these times of electoral tension in the country, this act of censorship is completely counterproductive because it does reinforce doubts about the transparency of these elections," Morillon said. "One condition for holding free and fair elections is the respect for freedom of expression and the respect of freedom of the press, and blocking a website that is supposed to help monitor elections is just being seen as a way to try to hide some information that could be embarrassing for the government."

National elections took place across Sudan from April 11-15. The initial voting period of three days was extended to five due, among other issues, to delays caused by the late arrival of ballot⁴ papers and incomplete voter registration⁵ lists.

Many voters faced long lines at the voting booths, with many being forced to search for their names on the registration lists at multiple polling stations. Some voters were unable to vote at all due to errors in the registration process.

Opposition⁶ groups and election monitors have accused the government as well as the ruling National Congress Party of rigging the election.

The issues included limited media access for opposition parties and lack of voter registration in Darfur – where rebels have been battling the government since 2003. According to a report released by the International Crisis Group last month, the government made little effort to register those displaced by the conflict for the current elections.

The two main opposition groups withdrew their presidential candidates in protest of the irregularities, and many expect incumbent⁷ president Umar al-Bashir to cruise to victory.

Mr. Bashir, who seized power through a 1989 military coup⁸, has been indicted⁹ by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity in Darfur.

The elections are part of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended more than 20 years of war between the government of Sudan and the Southern People's Liberation Movement, now one of the main opposition parties. The agreement calls for a referendum in January to determine if the oil-rich south becomes an independent nation.

 

1 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？

2 intermittently   

adv.间歇地；断断续续

参考例句：

• Winston could not intermittently remember why the pain was happening. 温斯顿只能断断续续地记得为什么这么痛。 来自英汉文学
• The resin moves intermittently down and out of the bed. 树脂周期地向下移动和移出床层。 来自辞典例句

3 restriction   

n.限制，约束

参考例句：

• The park is open to the public without restriction.这个公园对公众开放，没有任何限制。
• The 30 mph speed restriction applies in all built-up areas.每小时限速30英里适用于所有建筑物聚集区。

4 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。

5 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

6 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。

7 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。

8 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

9 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。