2006年VOA标准英语-Congolese Vote in First Open Election in Four D

By Nico Colombant
Kinshasa
30 July 2006

 
Voters waiting in line for historic poll
  
Congolese are voting in their first open election in more than 40 years, in hopes of putting an end to years of misrule, corruption¹, conflict, and poverty. 

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Under the whizzing of helicopters many polling centers opened late, but turnout appeared substantial. Voting was slow, but orderly.

President Joseph Kabila said he had fulfilled his promise of organizing elections. He has been in power since his father, a former Rwanda-backed rebel turned president, was assassinated² in 2001. 

Mr. Kabila with his daughter going to vote  
  
He voted in the Gombe neighborhood of Kinshasa, one of the few parts of the country with nicely paved roads.

"Today is the most important day in the history of the Congo since independence," said Mr. Kabila.  "With the election we hope that peace and stability will come back to the Congo and with peace and stability, development, reconstruction³ in the Congo and the whole Central African regions and why not the continent. I am very confident."

Several hours later, near the city's Sacre Coeur church, one of his main opponents in the presidential race, former Uganda-backed rebel leader, Jean-Pierre Bemba also expressed confidence, while his supporters cheered him on.

He had a different historical perspective of the election, saying it was the most important day since he began his rebellion.

"It is a result of nine years of struggle, political struggle in my country, for a new political order in Congo. I can say that my mission is achieved, but of course now I am waiting for the support of the people of Congo to turn the page and to bring Congo to a new philosophy, a new kind of management, and governance in Congo," he said.

Main challenger former Uganda-backed rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba casts his vote  
  
He said it would be almost impossible if he did not make it to a second round run-off.

Many Congolese have expressed fears that the losers of the presidential election, many of whom still have armed groups, will not accept the outcome of the election. Others have expressed fears the election will be rigged.

Two other main challengers are former central banker Pierre Pay Pay, and U.S.-trained doctor Oscar Kashala. There are more than 30 presidential candidates.

Twenty-five-million registered Congolese voters are also selecting a new 500-seat parliament from nearly 10,000 candidates.

One voter expressed hope the election would bring economic improvement in the mineral-rich, but impoverished⁴ country.

"I think it is an important day to improve the situation, we can say democracy for the first time and so on, so it is probably better to get investment, to get investment from foreign countries to improve the situation," he said.

Other voters said they were surprised at the number of candidates.

 
Voters getting instructions in Kinshasa
  
In one poor neighborhood, residents started screaming after they said they had noticed a voter going to a polling center several times with different voting cards.

Nearly 50,000 national and 1,500 international observers are monitoring the vote. Newly trained police, U.N peacekeepers and rapid reaction forces from African and European countries are trying to enforce security.

Several armed groups remain active in many eastern parts of the country, while militants⁵ from one major opposition⁶ party are boycotting⁷ the process, saying preparations were inadequate⁸. Some of their militants burned a truck carrying voting materials on the eve of the vote near the eastern city of Mbuji Mayi, where initial turnout was reported as very low.

1 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。

2 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

3 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

4 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 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。

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 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。