2006年VOA标准英语-DRC Campaigning Ends Amid Tensions, Security Ch

By Nico Colombant
Kinshasa
28 July 2006

Campaigning is ending in the Democratic Republic of Congo, amid tensions before Sunday's post-war election.  It is the first open ballot¹ in the country since just after independence in 1960.

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Destruction caused by Bemba militants² of musician's headquarters
  
Police sifted³ through a ransacked⁴ church, which was looted Thursday by militants of one of the main presidential candidates, former rebel leader and current vice⁵ president in the power-sharing peace-brokered government Jean-Pierre Bemba.

His supporters said they had found blank ballots⁶ in the church, which they said were aimed at rigging the vote in favor of President Joseph Kabila. He has been in power since 2001, after his father, a former rebel leader who had seized the presidency⁷, was assassinated⁸.

Head of the DRC electoral commission, Apollinaire Malu Malu
   
  
The head of the electoral commission, Apollinaire Malu Malu, dismissed such allegations as completely false.

He said there remain "dangerous prophets of doom," who are mercenaries within their own country.

He says they should not try to undermine all the efforts, both national and international, put into Congo's elections.

Several other offices and headquarters were burned or looted Thursday in Kinshasa, during a Bemba rally, by protesters who saw them as representing interests favoring Mr. Kabila.

 
Kabila posters have been burned down 
  
Bemba said this was the work of undisciplined youths not associated with his campaign.

A more disciplined rally took place Friday in support of Mr. Kabila at a park in Kinshasa.  His presidential guard provided some of the security.

This woman said she was for Mr. Kabila, because, she said, he had brought peace and elections.

Kabila supporters, wearing his campaign's trademark⁹ yellow, have often been targeted by angry opponents during the campaign, but she said she was not afraid. She said she is sure he will win.

Mr. Kabila and Bemba are among a slate¹⁰ of more than 30 candidates, including another former rebel leader, Azarias Ruberwa, and two strong civilian¹¹ challengers, Pierre Pay Pay and Oscar Kashala.  A candidate will need more than 50 percent of the vote for a first round victory.

A one-round legislative¹² election for a new parliament will also take place.

More than 70,000 newly trained police will take the lead role in enforcing security, with some anti-vote militants threatening sit-ins, and many armed groups still not reintegrated into the army.

As more than 17,000 U.N troops prepare to help, the deputy head of mission of the world's largest peacekeeping mission, Ross Mountain, stressed it will not be easy.

"This is a huge country, with a massive population and an enormous range of regional rivalries," he said.  "It would be strange, if there were no incidents. We have been frankly¹³ delighted how limited the number of incidents there have been in the course of the last month of the campaign. We are obviously making stand-by contingencies¹⁴ in relation to various areas of the country that, perhaps, might be more likely difficult than others, but we are very pleased with the way the progress is going."

Mountain also noted¹⁵ that, just four years ago, many of the main contenders for the presidency were leaders of armed groups killing¹⁶ each other's followers¹⁷ by the hundreds.

1 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

2 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

3 sifted   

v.筛( sift的过去式和过去分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审

参考例句：

• She sifted through her papers to find the lost letter. 她仔细在文件中寻找那封丢失的信。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She sifted thistles through her thistle-sifter. 她用蓟筛筛蓟。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 ransacked   

v.彻底搜查( ransack的过去式和过去分词 )；抢劫，掠夺

参考例句：

• The house had been ransacked by burglars. 这房子遭到了盗贼的洗劫。
• The house had been ransacked of all that was worth anything. 屋子里所有值钱的东西都被抢去了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 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》

7 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

8 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

9 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

10 slate   

n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订

参考例句：

• The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。
• What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢？

11 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

12 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

13 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

14 contingencies   

n.偶然发生的事故，意外事故( contingency的名词复数 )；以备万一

参考例句：

• We must consider all possible contingencies. 我们必须考虑一切可能发生的事。
• We must be prepared for all contingencies. 我们要作好各种准备，以防意外。 来自辞典例句

15 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

16 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

17 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。