VOA标准英语2009年-UN Chief Learns 'Valuable, Painful' Lesson

By Margaret Besheer
United Nations
20 October 2009

 
Ban Ki-moon (Oct 2009 file photo)
The U.N. secretary-general says having learned "valuable and painful" lessons from the widespread fraud that plagued the first round of Afghanistan's presidential elections, the United Nations would do its best to assist the Afghan people in having a credible¹ and free second round. But Ban Ki-moon warned that it will be a "huge challenge" to hold the runoff on November 7.

Mr. Ban welcomed President Hamid Karzai's announcement Tuesday that he would accept a runoff with his closest rival, Abdullah Abdullah, after the U.N.-backed audit² of the August 20 vote found nearly a quarter of all votes were fraudulent and had to be thrown out.

"I am very much pleased that Afghan leadership, President Karzai, has agreed to respect the result of this Independent Election Commission, as well as Electoral Complaint Commission, as has been agreed before and in accordance with the constitutional process," he said.

Mr. Karzai originally received some 54 percent of the votes cast. But the U.N.-backed Electoral Complaints Commission examined more than 2,500 allegations of fraud - including phantom³ polling stations, ballot-stuffing and police intimidation⁴ - and declared a third of Mr. Karzai's ballots⁵ invalid⁶, reversing his outright⁷ victory.

The election results were further complicated by infighting among U.N. representatives in Afghanistan. The chief of the U.N. mission there, Kai Eide, did not acknowledge that there was "widespread fraud" until recently. But his deputy, Peter Galbraith, raised the allegation sooner, and was dismissed from his post by the secretary-general.

Mr. Ban said there is a "huge challenge" in conducting a runoff election only 18 days from now. He said the United Nations would provide all the necessary administrative⁸, technical and logistical support to the Afghans, as it did for the first round, and would work with the Electoral Complaints Commission and the Independent Election Commission to make the second round transparent⁹ and credible.

"But having learned lessons from the first elections that there was widespread fraud, irregularities and fraudulence, we will try our best in close coordination¹⁰ with Afghan leadership and Afghan institutions and other international major partners to make this election as fair and free of fraudulence," said the U.N. chief.

He added that the second round must not be a repeat of the first.

In Afghanistan, Mr. Ban's special representative, Kai Eide, told reporters that his approach to the elections has always been one of respect for the Afghan constitution and the other institutions that were put in place to move the election process forward. He said those institutions functioned as they should and that is what has led to the runoff vote.

 

1 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

2 audit   

v.审计；查帐；核对；旁听

参考例句：

• Each year they audit our accounts and certify them as being true and fair.他们每年对我们进行账务审核，以确保其真实无误。
• As usual,the yearly audit will take place in December.跟往常一样，年度审计将在十二月份进行。

3 phantom   

n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的

参考例句：

• I found myself staring at her as if she were a phantom.我发现自己瞪大眼睛看着她，好像她是一个幽灵。
• He is only a phantom of a king.他只是有名无实的国王。

4 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。

5 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》

6 invalid   

n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的

参考例句：

• He will visit an invalid.他将要去看望一个病人。
• A passport that is out of date is invalid.护照过期是无效的。

7 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

8 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。

9 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

10 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。