VOA标准英语2008年-Georgian President Faces Election Challenge

By Peter Fedynsky
Tbilisi
04 January 2008

Georgia holds a snap presidential election on Saturday in which six candidates are challenging incumbent¹ Mikhail Saakashvili, who is accused of rigging the process in his favor. VOA Correspondent Peter Fedynsky has this report from Tbilisi.

The Georgian presidential election is being held less than two months after President Mikhail Saakashvili set the date in response to mass demonstrations² against his government in early November.  Riot police used force to break up the protests, and Mr. Saakashvili declared a state of emergency, which included the closing of independent media.

Candidate David Gamkrelidze, leader of the conservative New Rights Party, says lack of time prevented him from extensive campaigning, particularly in Georgia's mountainous rural areas.

"And, of course, these 45 days [were] not enough when you have such shortage of money," he said.  "It was quite difficult to bring all your messages, all ideas, all program priorities to voters."

Gamkrelidze also accuses Mr. Saakashvili of using administrative³ resources of the presidency⁴ to run his campaign.  According to Gamkrelidze, these include money from the state budget, and the political assistance of governors, police and prosecutors⁵.

Another candidate, Levan Gachechiladze, a former Saakashvili ally and leader of the United Opposition⁶, says presidential challengers were also denied equal media access.

"We cannot use media, because media is very subjective," he said.  "We cannot use advertising⁷ and promotion⁸ in Tbilisi and all of Georgia, because they are all closed for us - like billboards¹⁰, and these kinds of things in [under]passes and trolley¹¹ busses."

The vast majority of billboard⁹ advertising in Tbilisi seems to support the incumbent.

Authorities have denied allegations of rigging and say Saturday's elections will be fair.

For his part, Mr. Saakashvili has campaigned on a slogan of a "Georgia without Poverty," promising¹² - among other things - to double pensions in October.  He has faced criticism for a slow pace of reforms and accusations¹³ of increasingly authoritarian¹⁴ policies.  In response, he has called for voter trust.

The Georgian president says some people are fed up with his promises of a fantasy, but he goes on to ask, what if the fantasy is fulfilled?

Another candidate, exiled Georgian billionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili, is promising various social benefits to be paid for 18 months out of his own pocket if he is elected.  The benefits would include about $35 per month to all unemployed¹⁵ persons, as well as 100 kilowatts¹⁶ of electricity and 100 cubic meters of gas each month to needy¹⁷ families.  In addition, Patarkatsishvili says, he will purchase Georgia's entire grape and citrus harvest to help farmers hurt by a Russian embargo¹⁸ on Georgian goods.

Public opinion polls indicate a fractured opposition could give the weakened Saakashvili a victory in Saturday's election, but he could lose in a second round of balloting¹⁹ two weeks later, if he fails to cross the mandatory²⁰ 50 percent threshold. 

Several opposition leaders say there will be protests if the election results are rigged.  The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has monitored the Georgian campaign and has observers throughout Georgia for the election.

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 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

3 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

4 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

5 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

6 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。

7 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

8 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

9 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

10 billboards   

n.广告牌( billboard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Large billboards have disfigured the scenery. 大型告示板已破坏了景色。 来自辞典例句
• Then, put the logo in magazines and on billboards without telling anyone what it means. 接着我们把这个商标刊在杂志和广告看板上，却不跟任何人透漏它的涵意。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年4月号

11 trolley   

n.手推车，台车；无轨电车；有轨电车

参考例句：

• The waiter had brought the sweet trolley.侍者已经推来了甜食推车。
• In a library,books are moved on a trolley.在图书馆，书籍是放在台车上搬动的。

12 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

13 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

14 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

15 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

16 kilowatts   

千瓦( kilowatt的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It's about 500 kilowatts per hour on average. 年用电量平均为每小时500千瓦。 来自商贸英语会话
• We have an emergency-standby electric generator with a capacity of 300 kilowatts. 我们有一台三百千瓦的事故备用发电机。

17 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

18 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

19 balloting   

v.（使）投票表决( ballot的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Clark took a commanding leading in the early balloting. 在最初投票时，克拉克遥遥领先。 来自辞典例句
• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句

20 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。