2006年VOA标准英语-Thailand's Political Uncertainty Continues

By Scott Bobb
Bangkok
24 April 2006

A Thai man rests on a bench as others monitor the senate election results being displayed on a giant board outside city hall in Bangkok, April 20, 2006  
  
In Thailand, uncertainty¹ continues over the fate of the new parliament after by-elections failed to fill 14 seats that were left vacant because of an opposition² boycott³ of nationwide elections three weeks ago. Election officials say they are trying to hold another round of voting before a constitutional deadline next week for parliament to open.

----------------------------------------

The Thai Election Commission Monday announced that by-elections Sunday in 40 districts had filled more than half the vacant seats in the lower house of parliament. But a third round of voting will be needed in at least 14 districts where no candidates had obtained the 20 percent of votes needed to win a seat.

The three main opposition parties boycotted⁴ the elections, saying they could not be fair because the ruling party of Thaksin Shinawatra dominates regulatory agencies such as the Election Commission and constitutional courts.

Mr. Thaksin was re-elected prime minister by a landslide⁵ last year but he called snap elections for April 2nd after months of demonstrations⁶ by protesters who accuse his government of corruption⁷ and abuse of power. He denies the allegations.

His Thai Rak Thai party won 56 percent of the vote, but one-third of the voters delivered a strong protest by casting abstention ballots⁸. Two days after the election, Mr. Thaksin said he was taking a leave of absence from politics and would not be a candidate for prime minister in the new parliament.

A political science professor at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, says Thai politics are entering uncharted territory.

"It's important to try to maintain and to bolster⁹ constitutional rule in the months ahead and try to get back to the democratic rules of the game," he said.

The constitution says parliament must convene¹⁰ within 30 days of the election - by May 1, but it also says that parliament cannot meet until all seats are filled.

Because the vacant seats are not likely to be filled by another vote, the ruling party is likely to ask the courts to decide whether parliament can open anyway.

A political editor with the Nations media group, Thepchai Yong, says such a move will aggravate¹¹ the confrontation¹² with the opposition.

"Any attempt by the ruling Thai Rak Thai party to open the house for the first meeting to elect a prime minister will certainly trigger another round of protests," said Thepchai Yong.

The opposition wants a neutral government to be appointed that will oversee¹³ constitutional reform and new elections.

However Mr. Thaksin's supporters want the new parliament to oversee the process. They view the opposition's tactics as un-democratic.

1 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

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 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

4 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

5 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

6 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。

7 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。

8 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

10 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。

11 aggravate   

vt.加重(剧)，使恶化；激怒，使恼火

参考例句：

• Threats will only aggravate her.恐吓只能激怒她。
• He would only aggravate the injury by rubbing it.他揉擦伤口只会使伤势加重。

12 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。

13 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。