2006年VOA标准英语-DRC Supreme Court Burns Amid Poll Challenge

By Naomi Schwarz
Dakar
21 November 2006

U.N. peacekeepers and firefighters in the Democratic Republic of Congo have rushed to the Supreme¹ Court to contain violence after clashes and a fire broke out. The court is considering a complaint of fraud by the apparent loser in the Oct. 29 presidential election, former rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba.

 
A Congolese police van burns outside the smoldering² Supreme Court building in Kinshasa, Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006
Offices, documents and furniture burned at the Supreme Court after mobs tried to prevent proceedings³ from taking place.

Earlier, gunshots and tear gas filled the air. Journalist Eddy⁴ Isango was on the scene.

He says he did not know where the shots were coming from. He says police and members of Mr. Bemba's guard were involved in the firefights.

The violence erupted as the court started studying a challenge to provisional results that give Mr. Bemba's opponent, transitional President Joseph Kabila, a wide victory.

Before the fire broke out, the proceedings had been halted over a procedural matter raised by Mr. Bemba's lawyer.

 
President Joseph Kabila
Mr. Kabila has appealed for calm and says he will bring Congolese together again, after years of misrule, corruption⁵ and conflict.

Delly Sesanga, a spokesman for the Bemba camp, is calling for a re-vote.

"We think that the high court will cancel all results of the second [round of] presidential elections in Congo and organize in some time a new election which will be more transparent⁶ and free," he said.

But many of Bemba's supporters say they believe that Mr. Kabila will manipulate the outcome of the ruling, much as they claim he did during the voting.

International observers have said there were problems, but they believe the vote counting reflected the will of Congolese. Voting was split along an east-west divide, with Mr. Bemba doing well in the west, including Kinshasa, but very poorly in the east. 
 
 

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 smoldering   

v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The mat was smoldering where the burning log had fallen. 燃烧的木棒落下的地方垫子慢慢燃烧起来。 来自辞典例句
• The wood was smoldering in the fireplace. 木柴在壁炉中闷烧。 来自辞典例句

3 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

4 eddy   

n.漩涡，涡流

参考例句：

• The motor car disappeared in eddy of dust.汽车在一片扬尘的涡流中不见了。
• In Taylor's picture,the eddy is the basic element of turbulence.在泰勒的描述里，旋涡是湍流的基本要素。

5 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

6 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。