VOA标准英语2009年-Afghan President, Main Rival Reject Power

By Michael Bowman
Washington
25 October 2009

 
Afghan President Hamid Karzai (file photo)
Afghanistan's president and his main electoral challenger say the country's political future should be decided¹ at the ballot² box, not through the formation of a coalition³ government. But President Hamid Karzai's primary political rival continues to express concern over electoral fraud that plagued the country's first round of voting in August.

Campaign staffers for President Karzai say a second-round election is unavoidable and the only constitutional means to establish a new government. Appearing on the Fox News Sunday television program, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah also rejected the possibility of a power-sharing agreement between himself and Mr. Karzai.

"I should rule it [power sharing] out, because I am ready to go for a run-off," Abdullah said.

But Abdullah added that steps must be taken to ensure a fair vote next month.

"I am working with the international community on sets of conditions which have to be met," Abdullah said. "Without considering it [electoral reform], we will not have a transparent⁴, credible⁵ process. And it will be very difficult to convince the people to turn out, to show up."

 
Abdullah Abdullah a presidential candidate, top rival of President Hamid Karzai (file)
 
The former foreign minister acknowledged some of his backers are urging a boycott⁶ of the second round of voting, but said he did not want to address the matter personally and risk sapping the electoral campaign of energy.

The credibility of Afghan leadership is of critical importance to the Obama administration, which is currently engaged in a review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. The commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, has urged a dramatic troop increase to combat militants⁷ and help stabilize⁸ the country.

That recommendation has the backing of Republican legislators like Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, who also appeared on Fox News Sunday.

"The point of a counter-insurgency⁹ policy is for the U.S. forces and the NATO forces to be able to help protect the Afghan population," Kyl said. "Our being there will help provide some leverage¹⁰ over the government to be more cooperative and assist us in that effort. So I think for all of those reasons, I think following General McChrystal's recommendation makes a lot of sense."

 
Senator Carl Levin (file)
 
But some Democratic lawmakers contend the long-term key to defeating the insurgency in Afghanistan is not to send more foreign troops, but to speed training of Afghan security forces. Carl Levin is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"I think the counter-insurgency plan is the right way to go. And the way to make it effective, I believe, is to have a much larger, much quicker Afghan army, and a much better-equipped Afghan Army," Levin said.

President Barack Obama has repeatedly described the conflict in Afghanistan as one that the United States cannot afford to lose. Former Vice¹¹ President Dick Cheney recently accused Mr. Obama of "dithering" [delay and indecisiveness] in responding to the challenges in Afghanistan. White House officials say the president has a clear obligation to assess the effectiveness of U.S. strategy before placing more American troops in harm's way.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

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 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

4 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。

5 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？

6 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。

7 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

8 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

9 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

10 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

11 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。