Ex-guerrilla leads Uruguay polls

A former left-wing guerrilla has taken a commanding lead in several exit polls from Uruguay's presidential election.

Most polls show Senator Jose Mujica has narrowly failed to secure the 50% needed to avoid a run-off vote.

If a second round is officially confirmed, he is likely to face his main conservative rival（保守派对手）, the former president, Luis Lacalle.

The winner will replace outgoing socialist¹ President Tabare Vazquez and take office in March next year.

Exit polls on Sunday suggested 74-year-old Mr Mujica had gained about 48% of votes, with Mr Lacalle trailing on around 30%.

A 29 November run-off would take place between the two frontrunners.

Mr Mujica, a senator（参议员） of the governing left-wing Broad Front Party, was a former member of the rebel Tupamaros movement in the 1960s and 1970s.

Mr Lacalle, famed for having survived an attempt to poison him - and other National Party leaders - with tainted² wine in the 1970s, is a 68-year-old lawyer.

He has pledged（承诺） to remove the income tax imposed by President Vazquez and trim the size of government in the country of 3.4 million.

During the election campaign, he sought to capitalise on concerns among some voters about his rival's militant³ past.

Mr Lacalle has crafted a political comeback 14 years after leaving office when his senior aides were accused of corruption（腐败）.

As well as presidential and congressional elections, voters also took part in a referendum.

That will decide whether to revoke⁴ a law which gives immunity⁵ to former security officials accused of human rights abuses during Uruguay's period of military rule. （本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑）

1 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

2 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

4 revoke   

v.废除，取消，撤回

参考例句：

• The university may revoke my diploma.大学可能吊销我的毕业证书。
• The government revoked her husband's license to operate migrant labor crews.政府撤销了她丈夫管理外来打工人群的许可证。

5 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。