VOA标准英语2009年-Preliminary Legislative Election Results S

By Scott Stearns
Dakar
23 October 2009
Preliminary results from legislative¹ elections in Niger indicate a big win for the ruling party in a vote boycotted³ by the opposition⁴. West African leaders suspended the country from its regional economic bloc⁵, ECOWAS, for going ahead with the vote amidst a political crisis sparked by a referendum extending the president's rule.

 
President Mamadou Tandja is surrounded by bodyguards⁶ after casting his vote in constitutional referendum in Niamey, 4 Aug 2009
Preliminary results show President Mamadou Tandja's party winning more than half of the 113 seats in a new parliament.

Opposition parties boycotted Tuesday's vote to replace lawmakers dismissed by President Tandja after they said it was illegal to change the constitution to extend his time in office.

The Economic Community of West African states asked President Tandja to indefinitely suspend this legislative election in favor of political dialogue. When he did not, the regional alliance suspended Niger from the regional bloc and called on the African Union and United Nations to follow suit.

Foreign Minister Aichatou Mindaoudou says ECOWAS should reconsider a decision that she says shows West African leaders do not understand Niger's political situation.

President Tandja says he needs to stay in power to finish several large projects including a Chinese oil refinery⁷ and a new French uranium mine. He dismissed the country's constitutional court and ruled by decree until the August referendum gave him another three years in power.

With this legislative win, the 71-year-old retired⁸ colonel has a new parliament, a new constitutional court and the freedom to run again when his extended term ends in 2012.

ECOWAS says the vote was meant to further entrench⁹ Niger's "constitutional illegality." The Obama administration says President Tandja should resolve the political crisis through dialogue rather than what it calls "self-serving actions that continue to erode¹⁰ Niger's ten-year commitment to democracy and good governance."

President Tandja's ruling party says it is not for the international community to decide the future of the country. It says there was widespread popular support to extend the president's term and the opposition boycott² of this vote will have no affect on the credibility of the new parliament just as its protest of the referendum had no affect on changing the constitution.

Opposition leaders say the vote was illegal because it was organized by a government founded on an unconstitutional referendum.

Final results are expected in the next several days.

1 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

2 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

3 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

4 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。

5 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

6 bodyguards   

n.保镖，卫士，警卫员( bodyguard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Brooks came to Jim's office accompanied—like always—by his two bodyguards. 和往常一样，在两名保镖的陪同下，布鲁克斯去吉姆的办公室。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Three of his bodyguards were injured in the attack. 在这次袭击事件中，他有3名保镖受了伤。 来自辞典例句

7 refinery   

n.精炼厂，提炼厂

参考例句：

• They built a sugar refinery.他们建起了一座榨糖厂。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

8 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

9 entrench   

v.使根深蒂固；n.壕沟；防御设施

参考例句：

• A series of measures were designed to entrench democracy and the rule of law.采取一系列措施旨在巩固民主和法制。
• These dictators have entrenched themselves politically and are difficult to move.这些独裁者在政治上已经站稳了脚跟，很难推翻他们。

10 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。