VOA标准英语2009-Iraqi VP Threatens Veto of Election Law

Iraq's Sunni Arab Vice¹ President Tariq al-Hashemi says he may veto a proposed electoral law, which was amended² Monday by parliament. The head of Iraq's electoral commission says failure to pass the law will delay elections by "at least a month" from their original January date.

Edward Yeranian | Cairo 24 November 2009

Tariq al-Hashemi (file photo)

Iraq's Sunni Arab Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi says he may veto a proposed electoral law, which was amended Monday by parliament. The head of Iraq's electoral commission says failure to pass the law will delay elections by "at least a month" from their original January date. 

Iraq is caught in the crosswinds of a political crisis, after Shi'ite and Kurdish political parties agreed to a revised electoral law in the Iraqi parliament Monday leaving minority Sunnis fuming³ and irate⁴.

Iraq's Sunni Arab Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, who vetoed an earlier version of the proposed electoral law, said Tuesday that he may veto the revised law as well.  Failure to pass the law could delay elections, which are required by the constitution to be held in January.

While leaders of Iraq's majority Shi'ites and their Kurdish allies are pleased by Monday's revised law, minority Sunni leaders are hoping to derail the plan. Selim al-Jabbouri of the Iraqi Islamic party says that the new law is unfair.

He says that his parliamentary block holds the presidential council responsible for pushing through this law without having any real strategy. The law, he complains, increases the [principle of seats of representation by province but excludes Sunni representation outside the country], as well as for each political block that voted in favor of it, without taking into consideration the demands of our Sunni Accordance Front or other blocks that are hurt by the law.

Meanwhile, President Jalal Talabani, who is a Kurd, urged parliament Wednesday to support the electoral law, and appealed to Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi to "understand the need to approve it."

The Kurds, who opposed the original version of the electoral law, calling for further Kurdish representation, especially in the ethnically⁵ divided city of Kirkuk, appear to be satisfied by Monday's revision, according to Kurdish Prime Minister Barham Salih.

He says that the law that was passed Monday by the Iraqi parliament is acceptable to the Kurds for the most part, even if they still have some reservations.

The head of Iraq's electoral commission, Faraj al-Haidari, warned Tuesday that the "date of the parliamentary election will have to be postponed⁶ at least a month, until February 15th" if a new electoral law is not passed on time.

U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill has warned that it is  "important for Iraq's future that these elections take place, soon," adding that "some slippage" will be acceptable, but not a lot.  The planned U.S. drawdown of military forces is due to begin 60 days after the elections.

 

1 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。

2 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。

3 fuming   

愤怒( fume的现在分词 )； 大怒； 发怒； 冒烟

参考例句：

• She sat in the car, silently fuming at the traffic jam. 她坐在汽车里，心中对交通堵塞感到十分恼火。
• I was fuming at their inefficiency. 我正因为他们效率低而发火。

4 irate   

adj.发怒的，生气

参考例句：

• The irate animal made for us,coming at a full jump.那头发怒的动物以最快的速度向我们冲过来。
• We have received some irate phone calls from customers.我们接到顾客打来的一些愤怒的电话

5 ethnically   

adv.人种上，民族上

参考例句：

• Ethnically, the Yuan Empire comprised most of modern China's ethnic groups. 元朝的民族成分包括现今中国绝大多数民族。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• Russia is ethnically relatively homogeneous. 俄罗斯是个民族成分相对单一的国家。 来自辞典例句

6 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。