VOA常速英语2007年-Bhutto in Islamabad to Discuss Ways to Overturn

By VOA News
06 November 2007
 

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto arrived in Islamabad Tuesday for meetings with opposition¹ parties to discuss ways to overturn emergency rule imposed by President Pervez Musharraf.

Ms. Bhutto said she has no plans to meet or negotiate with General Musharraf, but demanded that he restore the constitution, which has been suspended since he imposed emergency rule on Saturday.

She also challenged the president to say that parliamentary elections set for mid-January will be held on schedule.

General Musharraf's Cabinet met Tuesday to discuss the timetable for the ballot². No final decision has been made on whether to postpone³ the vote.

Earlier, Pakistan's ousted⁴ Supreme⁵ Court chief justice called on his supporters to protest the emergency rule.

Using a mobile-phone link to address a rally of several hundred lawyers in Islamabad, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry urged them to defy police, protest emergency rule and stand up for the constitution.

The government has given Supreme Court justices the choice of accepting a new provisional constitution or stepping down. Eight of the justices have accepted the new constitution, which imposed emergency rule.

Chaudhry and six other justices refused and ruled that the emergency decree was unconstitutional. They were placed under house arrest and their ruling was ignored.

Meanwhile, there were more clashes between protesting lawyers and police today, this time near the central city of Multan.

More than 1,500 people - including lawyers and opposition politicians - have been arrested since the president imposed emergency rule.

 Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

1 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。

2 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。

3 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

4 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

7 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。