VOA常速英语2007年-South Asian Analysts Say Pakistan Has Brief Opp

By Meredith Buel
Washington
06 November 2007

Protests are continuing in Pakistan following President Pervez Musharraf's decision to suspend the constitution and declare a state of emergency. South Asian analysts¹ say there is a small window of opportunity for the Pakistani government to reverse course, get back on the road to democracy, and hold nationwide elections early next year. VOA correspondent Meredith Buel reports from Washington.

President Bush and other western leaders are urging President Musharraf to resign as army chief and hold crucial parliamentary elections in January, as originally scheduled.

General Musharraf's cabinet met Tuesday to discuss the timetable, but Pakistani officials say no decision was made on whether to postpone² the ballot³.

Daniel Markey, a senior fellow and South Asian specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations, says there is still time for General Musharraf to restore the constitution and lift the state of emergency.

"The hope is that we can still get to elections in a January or February time frame, but that is going to take a Herculean effort on everyone's part to roll back this emergency rule and get back to where we were before that and move along in a steady process in that direction. That hope is getting slimmer every day that we don't actually take concrete steps to get there," he said.

U.S. officials have begun their review of aid to Pakistan to see if Islamabad has violated any U.S. laws or rules that would require Washington to suspend financial assistance.

The United States has given Pakistan nearly $10 billion since 2001, mostly to support the country's military.

Wendy Chamberlin, the President of the Middle East Institute and a former U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, says the Bush administration should be selective if a decision is made to cut assistance. "We should review our aid architecture, but we should only cut aid that has no impact on the people of Pakistan or on counter-terrorism efforts. I would increase aid, in fact, for educational exchanges and for exchanges with the Pakistani military officers. I would cut aid for the big-ticket weapon systems items that Musharraf likes to showcase," she said.

General Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup⁴, suspended the constitution ahead of a Supreme⁵ Court ruling on whether his recent re-election as president was legal.

Critics say Mr. Musharraf was making a list-ditch effort to cling to power when he imposed emergency measures, although he says his primary goal was to help fight a growing militant⁶ threat to Pakistan.

Following the emergency declaration, General Musharraf ousted⁷ independent judges, granted sweeping⁸ powers to authorities to crush dissent⁹ and shut down privately¹⁰ owned television news channels.

Daniel Markey of the Council on Foreign Relations says the Bush administration should demand specific timetables for the restoration of democratic institutions. "From my point of view, the thing that we should be pushing for is a timetable whereby, this day, some of the prisoners will be released. By this day, we will get all of the media back up and running. By this day, the election commission will have a plan for holding free and fair elections. By this day, we will actually, in fact, have public debates and a capacity for the political parties to participate in getting ready for elections. If we do not see anything like that, there is no way in ten weeks we are going to have elections and then we are really going to have a problem," he said.

While lawyers, journalists and some human rights groups have demonstrated against Mr. Musharraf's actions, the country's main political parties have remained relatively¹¹ quiet.

The president's most serious challenger, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, has not been arrested and so far has been free to travel around the country. She has criticized the president's emergency declaration, but has not called on members of her Pakistan Peoples Party to protest in the streets.

Former Ambassador Chamberlin says Ms. Bhutto and General Musharraf could still forge a political alliance. "Benazir Bhutto is and has been the leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party. It is the largest party in Pakistan. It represents many people from the rural areas of Sindh and Punjab. It will be an important party in any election to put together a coalition¹² for selection of the prime minister and later the president. That is why he needs to talk to her," she said.

Analysts say, at least for the short run, Ms. Bhutto is likely to work with Mr. Musharraf's government in an effort to restore a timetable for elections.

They say Ms. Bhutto fears the possibility of massive street protests, because it is not currently in her interest to further destabilize the country.

1 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

2 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。

3 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。

4 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

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 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

7 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。

8 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？

9 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

10 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

11 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

12 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。