2006年VOA标准英语-Thai Election Commission Considers Postpon

By Scott Bobb
Bangkok
20 March 2006

Thailand's election commission is considering postponing¹ snap parliamentary elections called for next month because of a lack of candidates in some districts and allegations of fraud. However, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra wants the elections to be held as scheduled and is urging people to get out and vote.

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A demonstrator carries an item pasted with picture of Thaksin Shinawatra at anti-Thaksin rally in Bangkok  
  

Thailand's Election Commission Monday said it would meet for a second day Tuesday to discuss the fate of the elections after a major opposition² party Sunday claimed party lists had been altered to allow several last-minute candidates to run in next month's snap elections.

The head of the Democrat³ Party, Abhisit Vejjajiva, said several small parties had conspired⁴ with the ruling Thai Rak Thai party, and he believes some Election Commission officials were also involved. "We believe that these are not isolated⁵ incidents but that there are many more cases," he said, "and part of the reason that we were able to get so many witnesses was because it was rather widespread."

Thaksin Shinawatra    
  
His party Sunday gave the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra 24 hours to address the allegations or it would expose other misdeeds. The Democrats⁶ and two other parties are boycotting⁷ the April 2 elections, saying they cannot be fair because the commission overseeing the vote is controlled by the ruling party.

On Sunday, the opposition parties produced three individuals who said government officials had offered them money to register as opposition candidates. They alleged⁹ that documents were then altered to show they had been party members for at least 90 days, as required by law.

Thai Rak Thai officials vehemently¹⁰ denied the accusations¹¹ and threatened to sue for defamation¹².

Thailand's Election Commission is considering postponing the vote after more than a third of the registered candidates were disqualified on technicalities. As a result, candidates of the governing party are running unopposed in 70 percent of the constituencies.

Mr. Thaksin called the snap elections last month in response to mass demonstrations¹³ urging him to resign. Criticism of the tycoon-turned-politician intensified¹⁴ after his family made nearly $2 billion in a tax-free sale of shares in the company he founded.

However, Mr. Thaksin maintains the elections are the democratic way to resolve the crisis. Mr. Thaksin said dissatisfied citizens should not use what he calls "mob rule" to change the government, and he called for people to vote on April 2 in order to determine democratically the future course of the country.

The opposition insists that Mr. Thaksin step down so that a neutral prime minister can be appointed to reform the constitution and then oversee⁸ new elections.

The author of several books on Thai politics, Chris Baker¹⁵, says the election is not likely to fill all the parliamentary seats, as required by law. "They won't be able to call a parliament," he said, "and because of that, that will create a constitutional impasse¹⁶. At that point, I think some new kind of solution can start."

Some fear that a prolonged confrontation¹⁷ could lead to violence, which both sides say they want to avoid. Thousands of farmers from the provinces have arrived in Bangkok in recent days. They are planning pro-Thaksin demonstrations around the capital to counter the ongoing¹⁸ anti-Thaksin rallies.

1 postponing   

v.延期，推迟( postpone的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He tried to gain time by postponing his decision. 他想以迟迟不作决定的手段来争取时间。 来自辞典例句
• I don't hold with the idea of postponing further discussion of the matter. 我不赞成推迟进一步讨论这件事的想法。 来自辞典例句

2 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。

3 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

4 conspired   

密谋( conspire的过去式和过去分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They conspired to bring about the meeting of the two people. 他们共同促成了两人的会面。
• Bad weather and car trouble conspired to ruin our vacation. 恶劣的气候连同汽车故障断送了我们的假日。

5 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

6 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 boycotting   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店，因为那里的店员在罢工。
• The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。

8 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

9 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

10 vehemently   

adv. 热烈地

参考例句：

• He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈，以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
• Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。

11 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

12 defamation   

n.诽谤；中伤

参考例句：

• Character defamation can be either oral or written.人格诽谤既可以是口头的也可以是书面的。
• The company sued for defamation.这个公司因受到诽谤而提起诉讼。

13 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

14 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

16 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

17 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

18 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。