VOA常速英语2007-Ecuador's President Pushes for Leftist Reforms

By Brian Wagner
Miami
02 October 2007

Ecuador's leftist President Rafael Correa is promising¹ to move quickly on government reforms following Sunday's vote that apparently² gave his supporters a majority in a special assembly to rewrite the country's constitution. VOA's Brian Wagner reports from Miami.

Election officials said it may take weeks for a final tally³ of voting for the constitutional assembly, but President Correa has already declared victory.

He said Monday he expects his Alianza party to secure at least 80 seats in the 130-member assembly that will convene⁴ at the end of the month. He also said he will ask the assembly to dissolve Congress and call elections for a new body that he says will better represent the people's interests.

The 44-year-old former finance minister has said the assembly is needed because Ecuador's congress has repeatedly blocked his proposals, such as plans to increase social spending, strengthen the government's control over natural resources and reform property rights.

Rafael Quintero of Central University in Quito says Sunday's vote shows Mr. Correa's agenda for sweeping⁵ changes within the government has a wide popular appeal. He says Ecuadorians are tired of being treated by the government as subjects and not as citizens with full rights.

Mr. Correa campaigned on a promise to break the hold of Ecuador's political parties, which he blames for decades of government corruption⁶ and instability. He says he hopes the new constitution will shift power away from Ecuador's political elite⁷ and pave the way for socialism.

To that end, Quintero says Mr. Correa's party has been recruiting people from outside government for congress and the new assembly. He says many of those seeking to join the constitutional assembly have affiliation⁸ with labor⁹ unions, social groups, human rights organizations and farmers groups.

The reform process in Ecuador is similar to one taken by Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, who called for a constitutional assembly shortly after he took office in 1999. Mr. Chavez has been a key supporter of President Correa since he assumed the post in January.

Quintero says the constitutional process in Ecuador is not inspired by Venezuela or any other Latin American government. He says the demand for change partly stems from a major protest by indigenous¹⁰ groups in Ecuador in 1990, and has been brewing¹¹ since then.

He says there is a strong feeling that that the changes Ecuador's people have been demanding for many years now have an opportunity to become public policy.

Critics accuse Mr. Correa of seeking to secure his hold on power, and say his proposed economic reforms may hurt the nation's business sector¹².

The special assembly is scheduled to meet for at least six months to draft a new constitution that must be approved in a popular referendum.

1 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

2 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

3 tally   

n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致

参考例句：

• Don't forget to keep a careful tally of what you spend.别忘了仔细记下你的开支账目。
• The facts mentioned in the report tally to every detail.报告中所提到的事实都丝毫不差。

4 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。

5 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

6 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。

7 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

8 affiliation   

n.联系，联合

参考例句：

• There is no affiliation between our organization and theirs,even though our names are similar.尽管两个组织的名称相似，但我们之间并没有关系。
• The kidnappers had no affiliation with any militant group.这些绑架者与任何军事组织都没有紧密联系。

9 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

10 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

11 brewing   

n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• It was obvious that a big storm was brewing up. 很显然，一场暴风雨正在酝酿中。
• She set about brewing some herb tea. 她动手泡一些药茶。

12 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。