VOA常速英语2008年-Opposition MDC Will Challenge Zimbabwean Vote R

By Delia Robertson
Johannesburg
13 April 2008

Zimbabwe's opposition¹ Movement for Democratic Change says it will challenge a decision by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to do a complete ballot² recount in 23 constituencies.  And as VOA's Delia Robertson reports from our southern Africa bureau in Johannesburg, a southern African leader meeting in Lusaka called for the release of the result in the presidential poll.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai did not get what he hoped for in Lusaka - a public admonishment³ of President Robert Mugabe by southern African leaders.  Instead, the leaders left Lusaka and left it to Tomaz Salomao, Executive Secretary of the Southern Africa Development Community, to read a statement calling for the release of the tally⁴ in the presidential poll.

"The summit asks the electoral authorities in Zimbabwe that verification and release of results are expeditiously⁵ done in accordance with due process of law," Salomao said. "Summit also urge all parties in the electoral process in Zimbabwe to accept the results when they are announced."

But MDC secretary general Tendai Biti says his leader won the election, and that his party will not accept an result they believe not to be true, even though independent observers suggest that Tsvangirai may have won just under the 50 percent plus one vote needed to avoid a runoff.

"We won this election without the need of a runoff, and that position has not changed," Biti said. "What SADC seemed to try to be seducing⁶ us, is to say well if there are guarantees of the rule of law, and there are conditions, and the result indicates a runoff, then everyone should participate."

As the leaders gathered in Lusaka, the Zimbabwe Eelectoral Commission announced it will recount votes in 23 constituencies for all four elections, that is for president, for parliament, for the senate and for local government.

The MDC says it will seek a court injunction to prevent the recount scheduled for Saturday.  The MDC accuses the ruling ZANUF-PF party of using the time between the election and now to stuff ballot boxes with votes for President Robert Mugabe and remove ballots⁷ in favor of Tsvangirai.

The opposition party also says that 84-year-old Zimbabwean leader has delayed the result to give his party time to intimidate⁸ the population, especially in rural areas, with a campaign of violence.  Some attacks have been documented by international human-rights groups.

All of these allegation have been rejected by the government, the ruling party and the commission.

Meanwhile, the High Court in Harare is expected to rule Monday on an application by the MDC to compel the commission to immediately release the tally in the presidential poll.  

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 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。

3 admonishment   

n.警告

参考例句：

• Moreover, but also has some taunts and the admonishment sound. 另外，还有一些嘲讽和规劝的声音。 来自互联网
• He chains them together with the admonishment as for the first woman. 他把他们锁在一起想警告第一个女士那样警告了他们。 来自互联网

4 tally   

n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致

参考例句：

• Don't forget to keep a careful tally of what you spend.别忘了仔细记下你的开支账目。
• The facts mentioned in the report tally to every detail.报告中所提到的事实都丝毫不差。

5 expeditiously   

adv.迅速地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• They have to be evaluated expeditiously, carefully with the patient fully UNDRESSED. 我看过许多的枪伤患者，但是就只有阿扁的伤口没有上述情形，真是天佑台湾。 来自互联网
• We will expeditiously facilitate trade transactions with the utmost professionalism. 我们会尽快贸易便利化的交易与最大的专业水平。 来自互联网

6 seducing   

诱奸( seduce的现在分词 )； 勾引； 诱使堕落； 使入迷

参考例句：

• He got into trouble for seducing the daughter of a respectable tradesman. 他因为引诱一个有名望的商人的女儿而惹上了麻烦。
• Chao Hsin-mei, you scoundrel, you shameless wretch, seducing a married woman. 赵辛楣，你这混帐东西！无耻家伙！引诱有夫之妇。

7 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。