VOA常速英语2007年-Kenya Approves 9 Candidates for Presidential Ra

By Derek Kilner
Nairobi
16 November 2007

Kenya's Electoral Commission has approved nine candidates for December's presidential contest. Derek Kilner reports from Nairobi, where President Mwai Kibaki and top challenger Raila Odinga were among those presenting their election papers this week.

Kenya's presidential election looks to be a close contest between incumbent¹ Mwai Kibaki, running on the ticket of the newly formed Party of National Unity², and Raila Odinga, of the opposition³ Orange Democratic Movement.

Odinga pulled ahead of Kibaki in opinion polls in late September, opening a 16-point lead by mid-October. But the president has stepped his campaigning efforts in recent weeks, and according to the most recent survey released by the Steadman Group polling firm, has narrowed the gap to four points.

A third candidate, Kalonzo Musyoka, is polling 11 percent. Several other candidates have also been approved to contest the elections, including Kenneth Matiba. Matiba finished second in Kenya's first multiparty elections in 1992, but has maintained a low profile in recent years.

On Thursday, Odinga delivered a speech in Nairobi outlining a series of campaign pledges. These include a new constitution granting more powers for regional government, increased spending on infrastructure⁴, free secondary education, and free health care for children under five.

Odinga also reemphasized his complaints that President Kibaki has failed to deliver on his 2002 campaign pledge to fight corruption⁵, and that the president has favored his Kikuyu tribe, Kenya's largest, at the expense of other ethnic⁶ groups.

Kenyan political analyst⁷ Ojwang Agina says that the message was well received and says he believes Odinga will maintain his lead in future opinion polls.

"It captured most of the areas that Kenyans feel need urgent attention by the future government," he said.  "The points he raised are consistent with what he has been saying all along. The majority of the people believe him when he talks about ending corruption, ending tribalism, and correcting the imbalances in terms of distribution of national assets that is marginalization of areas like Northeastern, Nyanza Province, Coast Province."

President Kibaki has said he will continue to build on his achievements in his first term in office, including a record of strong economic growth, and the introduction of free primary education.

Both Odinga and President Kibaki this week reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring a peaceful campaign season. The Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights has reported that 20 people have been killed in election-related violence since July.

Kenya's parties also nominated their candidates for parliamentary elections Friday. The parliamentary vote will also be held on December 27.

1 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

2 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 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。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 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。

6 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

7 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。