2007年VOA标准英语-French Election Attracts Interest in Senegal

By Selah Hennessy
Dakar
06 May 2007

Nicolas Sarkozy and Segolene Royal

Interest is high in Senegal for the French presidential election, where one the two candidates, Segolene Royal, was born. Selah Hennessy reports from Dakar that controversial immigration policies by her opponent Nicolas Sarkozy have also stirred a debate.

Voting also took place in Dakar, where there are thousands of French citizens and dual¹ nationals. About 10,000 people were registered to vote in the French election.

With a distinct choice of candidates in the final round of the French election, the conservative Sarkozy and the socialist² Royal, the election has been a hotly debated issue in the former French colony.

Senegalese-born Royal was the top vote getter in Senegal in the first round, with more than 40 percent of the votes. Most voters returning to the polling station on Sunday say they will vote for her again.

An important issue for many voters is immigration. Sarkozy, who has put national identity at the center of his campaign, has called for tighter rules on immigration.

A lawyer, Samir Ftouhi, says Mr. Sarkozy will not be good for a multi-cultural France.

"He is not good for a social, political and a multi-confessional France,'' said Ftouhi,

One woman waiting to vote says she thinks it will be good for France to have a female president.

"I think that it will be really great to have women running all countries," she said. "They will not fight like those men."

But she thinks that Senegalese men would not vote for a female president here.

"I think that if it was in Senegal, men would not vote for a woman," she said. "In this case they are just thinking who is good for Africa and who is not."

Georges Ghora, who has been living in Dakar for 12 years, was one of the few voters who said he supported the conservative candidate. He says France needs a strong president like Sarkozy who can keep France united.

"I believe that according to the situation, the actual situation in France, we would rather go for a president who is strong, who can hold tightly the French community and the republic," said Ghora.

Both candidates have said they may make radical³ changes to the policies of France in Africa. Currently, French troops are being used as rapid reaction forces in several conflicts on the continent, in divided Ivory Coast, Chad, and the Central African Republic.

1 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

2 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

3 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。