VOA标准英语2010年-International Crisis Group says Electo

The International Crisis Group warns Ivory Coast's long-delayed presidential poll could lead to "violent chaos¹" if more is not done to ensure the security of the electoral process and resolve issues of nationality and voter eligibility².

 In a report released this month, International Crisis Group cautioned that the existence of armed groups and militias³, a resurgence⁴ of xenophobic language and economic strain make for an "explosive environment" as Ivory Coast struggles to get preparations back on track for its presidential poll.

The vote is an attempt to find a lasting⁵ political solution to nearly a decade of internal conflict.  It has already been pushed back six times since civil war split the country in half in 2002.

International Crisis Group Senior West Africa Analyst⁶ Rinaldo Depagne says Ivory Coast is not only trying to organize elections, but also emerge from a long period of crisis, which makes the current electoral stalemate all the more troubling and volatile⁷.

The situation in Ivory Coast is tense, Depagne says.  The population is exasperated⁸ and does not see a light in the tunnel or how the country is going to get out of this long crisis period. He says the economic situation is also very delicate, and there is political tension.  So, he says, any demonstration⁹ or protest could lead to violence and deaths, as we saw in February.

The most recent setback¹⁰ came after President Laurent Gbagbo dissolved the government and electoral commission on February 12, sparking violent protests around the country that killed seven people and wounded dozens.  Mr. Gbagbo had accused the electoral commission of illegally registering as many as 400,000 foreigners.

Of the more than six-million names on the provisional voter list, the eligibility of 1.3-million voters is still being disputed on grounds of nationality.

This week, the independent electoral commission opened the review process during which those 1.3-million contested voters will have to prove their eligibility.

The question of "Who is Ivorian" was divisive during the civil war and remains¹¹ sensitive in Ivory Coast, which has attracted large immigrant populations from neighboring countries like Burkina Faso.

In its report, the International Crisis Group condemned¹² a resurgence of hate language and, what it called, "xenophobic Ivorian nationalism." Depagne said the voter identification process still carries serious risks of violence.

Depagne says Ivory Coast is a country of great immigration, and it is difficult to define who is Ivorian.  He says we just need to accept that everyone has the same objectives and there are a number of people who have been living in Ivory Coast and want to continue to live there and be respected.  But, he says, that is not the case, and the issue of nationality is still being used to political ends by all sides.

In the past week, President Laurent Gbagbo has met with lead opposition¹³ candidates, Henri Konan Bedie and Alassane Ouattara, to reopen negotiations¹⁴ and try to get the electoral process back on track.

But the publication of a final voter list is not the only obstacle remaining.  The disarmament of the country's former rebel factions¹⁶, the New Forces, and pro-government militias is also behind schedule.

International Crisis Groups says that means Ivory Coast is organizing elections in "a situation of armed peace" that could compromise the vote and lead to violence.

Right now, Depagne says, the only hope we can have is that everyone begins to disarm¹⁵, meaning both the New Forces and the pro-government militias who are still active in the extreme West of the country.  He says it is very difficult to organize free and transparent¹⁷ elections in a country where there are so many guns.

The International Crisis Group report called on the New Forces to not only start disarming¹⁸, but also to facilitate the organizing of elections by lifting roadblocks.

There could be as many as 40,000 former rebels to disarm and reintegrate.

But, Depagne says for the moment the New Forces is hesitant to disarm because it does not trust the presidential camp will not try to reunite the country by force.  So, he says, each side is holding to its conditions.

The International Crisis Group has also called for the international community to be bolder in identifying, and potentially sanctioning, those responsible for violence and for blocking the electoral process.
 

1 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

2 eligibility   

n.合格，资格

参考例句：

• What are the eligibility requirements? 病人被选参加试验的要求是什么？ 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望
• Eligibility for HINARI access is based on gross national income (GNI). 进入HINARI获取计划是依据国民总收入来评定的。

3 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

4 resurgence   

n.再起，复活，再现

参考例句：

• A resurgence of his grief swept over Nim.悲痛又涌上了尼姆的心头。
• Police say drugs traffickers are behind the resurgence of violence.警方说毒贩是暴力活动重新抬头的罪魁祸首。

5 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

6 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。

7 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

8 exasperated   

adj.恼怒的

参考例句：

• We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
• Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。

9 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

10 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

13 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。

14 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

15 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

16 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

17 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

18 disarming   

adj.消除敌意的，使人消气的v.裁军( disarm的现在分词 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• He flashed her a disarming smile. 他朝她笑了一下，让她消消气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We will agree to disarming troops and leaving their weapons at military positions. 我们将同意解除军队的武装并把武器留在军事阵地。 来自辞典例句