2007年VOA标准英语-Allegations of Irregularity, Apathy, and Violen

By Cache Seel
Qanater
11 June 2007

Independent observers and opposition¹ groups are accusing the Egyptian government of intimidating² voters and candidates, and tampering³ with parliamentary elections. Cache Seel reports for VOA from Qanater that violence and low voter turnout are being reported across the country.

Nearly 600 candidates are competing for the 88 elected seats in Egypt's upper house of parliament, known as the Shura Council.

For the first time Egypt's banned, but tolerated, opposition group, the Muslim Brotherhood⁴, is fielding candidates for the Shura Council elections. The group, which has been banned since 1954, runs candidates as independents. Hundreds of members of the group, including a candidate, have been arrested in a government crackdown since the announcement the group would contest 19 seats.

Deputy Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mohamed Habib, says the group does not know how many of its members are being held.

"We cannot determine the number of detainees, because it is constantly increasing and changing from one second to another," Habib said.

He lists a series of charges against the government ranging from mass arrests to closing polling stations and fabricating votes.

Shura roughly translates into English as "consultative". The powers of the council are much more limited than the lower house of parliament, called the People's Assembly. The Muslim Brotherhood won roughly 20 percent of the People's Assembly in the last round of parliamentary elections.

Egyptian anti-riot policemen block the entrance of Manshiyat al-Qanater polling station in Giza, Egypt, 11 Jun 2007

At the Manshiyat Al-Qanater polling station, Muslim Brotherhood candidate Sa'id Saleh complained of intimidation⁵ and harassment⁶ by the police since he announced his candidacy. This highlights the importance of the election he says.

"Our cause is reform. We are working for reform and against corruption⁷," he said. "Corruption is widespread and we need to work on ending it."

The Sawasiya Human Rights Center has election monitors in most of Egypt's governorates, Abdel Moneim Abdel Maksoud the head of the center, says he is receiving numerous reports of irregularities.

"Most of the violations," he says, "are occurring in the areas that have Muslim Brotherhood candidates."

Monitors from his group say that ruling party supporters were being bused in, voters were being intimidated⁸, and ballot⁹ boxes were being stuffed.

The government denied the claims.

A spokesman for the Ministry¹⁰ of the Interior said the elections are being monitored by a committee that includes media experts, representatives of the candidates, and non-governmental organizations. The government also registered 400 correspondents, who had full access to every polling station in Egypt.

Candidate Sa'id Saleh's daughter, Mariam Sa'id, says she witnessed ballot box tampering.

"I was here when it opened at eight o'clock," she said. "I went in to vote and the box was glass. Later when my aunt came to the same station the box was wooden."

Violence was reported at several polling stations across Egypt. At least one person has been killed and three others seriously wounded in clashes between supporters of a ruling party candidate and an independent.

According to the Sawasiya Center, voter turnout is extremely low in most areas. Early estimates suggest that the national average will not exceed seven percent.

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 intimidating   

vt.恐吓，威胁( intimidate的现在分词)

参考例句：

• They were accused of intimidating people into voting for them. 他们被控胁迫选民投他们的票。
• This kind of questioning can be very intimidating to children. 这种问话的方式可能让孩子们非常害怕。

3 tampering   

v.窜改( tamper的现在分词 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄

参考例句：

• Two policemen were accused of tampering with the evidence. 有两名警察被控篡改证据。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• As Harry London had forecast, Brookside's D-day caught many meter-tampering offenders. 正如哈里·伦敦预见到的那样，布鲁克赛德的D日行动抓住了不少非法改装仪表的人。 来自辞典例句

4 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

5 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

6 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

7 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。

8 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 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。

10 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。