VOA标准英语2009-Most Opponents of Guinea Military Reject Pow

Opposition¹ alliance refuse regional mediator², Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore's plan for interim³ government, which includes Guinea's military ruler Captain Moussa Camara

Scott Stearns | Dakar 23 November 2009

Most opponents of Guinea's military government are rejecting a power-sharing plan put forward by the regional mediator, Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore.

Burkinabe President Compaore wants to resolve Guinea's political crisis with a transitional government that includes members of the military and its political opponents.

Guinea's military leader Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara, center, salutes⁴ as he stands next to Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore, left, during welcoming ceremonies at the airport in Conakry, Guinea (File)

But most of the leaders of that opposition alliance say they will not take part in any interim authority that includes military ruler Captain Moussa Camara and members of the council that has run Guinea since last December's coup⁵.

Bah Oury, the vice⁶ president of the opposition Union of Democratic Forces, says President Compaore is not following the recommendations of leaders from the Economic Community of West African States or the International Contact Group on Guinea.  Oury says the mediator's mandate⁷ was clear: to arrange the peaceful departure of the military and establish a transitional government to resolve the crisis.

Instead of doing that, Oury says, President Compaore is proposing to give more power to the ruling military council than the council was asking for.  So that is why he says civil society groups reject the mediator's proposal.

President Compaore was appointed by ECOWAS leaders to mediate⁸ the crisis following September's killing⁹ of at least 157 opposition demonstrators.  They were protesting the expected presidential candidacy of Captain Camara when witnesses say soldiers opened fire in Conakry's main sports stadium.

Former prime minister Fran?ois Louncey Fall says the proposed transitional government rewards those responsible for that violence.

The 30-member interim authority under the Compaore plan has 10 positions for civil society, 10 positions for the ruling military council, and 10 positions for other groups that Fall believes would be close to the military.

He says taking part in that arrangement gives the opposition one-third of the power, while he says it represents a far greater portion of the population.  Fall says agreeing to that government would be like promoting those responsible for the violence of September 28.

Former Prime Minister Sidya Toure says President Compaore needs to try again.

Toure says the opposition alliance is rejecting President Compaore's proposal because it does not conform with the demands of civil society.  He says there should be a new dialogue to come up with a document based more on consensus¹⁰ that better takes into account the views of all sides.

But not all of the military's opponents reject President Compaore's plan.  Former prime minister Cellou Diallo says the proposal recognizes the realities of power in Conakry.
 
Diallo says the proposal is a good idea because if the opposition is insisting that Captain Camara leave power, it will be very complicated because Diallo says Captain Camara can not and will not leave power for many reasons.  Diallo says he thinks that the opposition alliance nominating a vice president is a good idea.

Captain Camara has not announced his candidacy, but he has told his supporters he will not insult them by ignoring their demands that he run for president. 

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 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

3 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

4 salutes   

n.致敬，欢迎，敬礼( salute的名词复数 )v.欢迎，致敬( salute的第三人称单数 )；赞扬，赞颂

参考例句：

• Poulengey salutes, and stands at the door awaiting orders. 波仑日行礼，站在门口听侯命令。 来自辞典例句
• A giant of the world salutes you. 一位世界的伟人向你敬礼呢。 来自辞典例句

5 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

6 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。

7 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

8 mediate   

vi.调解，斡旋；vt.经调解解决；经斡旋促成

参考例句：

• The state must mediate the struggle for water resources.政府必须通过调解来解决对水资源的争夺。
• They may be able to mediate between parties with different interests.他们也许能在不同利益政党之间进行斡旋。

9 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

10 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？