VOA标准英语2009-Namibia Prepares for National Elections

Some 1 million registered voters are expected to take part in Namibia's 5th general election since independence nearly 20 years ago

Scott Bobb | Johannesburg 26 November 2009

Workers prepare an election banner for the Rally for Democracy & Progress opposition¹ in Ondangwa, Namibia, 26 Nov 2009

Voters in Namibia are preparing to go to the polls Friday and Saturday to choose a president and parliament. The South West Africa People's Organization is expected to remain in power but SWAPO is being challenged by a new breakaway party.

Some 1.1 million registered voters are expected to take part in Namibia's 5th general election since independence nearly 20 years ago.

Analysts² say President Hifikepunye Pohamba will likely be re-elected to a second five-year term and his South West Africa People's Organization, which has dominated politics since independence, is expected to retain its two-thirds majority in parliament.

Analysts say the campaign has been energized³ by the emergence⁴ of a new party, the Rally for Democracy and Progress.

The RDP was formed two years ago after its leader, former foreign minister Hidipo Hametenya, lost his bid for the SWAPO leadership upon the retirement⁵ of Namibia's first president Sam Nujoma.

The director of Windhoek's Institute for Public Policy Research, Graham Hopwood, says the new party has heightened tensions.

"Because there was a split-off there, it has been a somewhat bitter election campaign, involving more intimidation⁶ and violence than we in Namibia are used to," he said.

A political science professor at the University of Namibia, Andre du Pisani, says because of Namibia's past the campaign had tended to center on personalities⁷ and party loyalties⁸.

"Namibia's political culture principally doesn't turn on issue politics. It turns on personalities, on symbolic⁹ politics, on the mythologies¹⁰ of liberation. So to that extent issue-based politics is not a strong feature yet of our political culture," he said.

But he says indications are that the issues are becoming more important. Hopwood of the Public Policy Research Institute agrees.

"Because we are now nearly 20 years since Namibia became independent, increasingly they [SWAPO leaders] have to go on their track record as a government. And they have quite a lot to boast about."

He says the government has improved education, health and local services. But he adds that poverty is still widespread and the gap between rich and poor is wide. As a result, he says voters want to see more rapid progress," said Hopwood.

Du Pisani says people who are too young to remember the liberation struggle are voting for the first time. And what he calls the born-free generation have shifted the focus of the elections.

"The macro-political questions, unemployment, youth empowerment, national reconciliation¹¹, and the performance of the economy, these issues have really entered center stage in these elections," he said.

Analysts say the organization and logistics of the balloting¹² appear to be going well. But the national electoral commission has been criticized for irregularities in voter registration¹³ lists.

Hopwood says some people appear to have been registered more than once and many deceased voters are still on the rolls.

"That is a worry that the voters register seems to be in somewhat of a mess," he said   "But on the other hand the electoral commission is arguing that at the end of the day it's perhaps not that crucial because what they do here is ink the fingers when you vote to try to stop repeat voting," he added.

Another concern is a perceived lack of fairness in coverage¹⁴ by the state media. Hopwood says the state-owned newspaper has been relatively¹⁵ fair but the national broadcasting corporation has devoted¹⁶ 80 percent of its election coverage to SWAPO and less than 20 percent to the one dozen opposition parties.

Nevertheless, analysts note that 1600 foreign observers are in the country to monitor the vote and for the first time the ballots¹⁷ will be counted and results posted at the polling centers before being sent to the national center for tabulation¹⁸.

Preliminary results are expected next week.

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 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 energized   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• We are energized by love if we put our energy into loving. 如果我们付出能量去表现爱意，爱就会使我们充满活力。 来自辞典例句
• I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我充满了活力，感觉非常好。 来自辞典例句

4 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

5 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

6 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。

7 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

8 loyalties   

n.忠诚( loyalty的名词复数 )；忠心；忠于…感情；要忠于…的强烈感情

参考例句：

• an intricate network of loyalties and relationships 忠诚与义气构成的盘根错节的网络
• Rows with one's in-laws often create divided loyalties. 与姻亲之间的矛盾常常让人两面为难。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

10 mythologies   

神话学( mythology的名词复数 )； 神话（总称）； 虚构的事实； 错误的观点

参考例句：

• a study of the religions and mythologies of ancient Rome 关于古罗马的宗教和神话的研究
• This realization is enshrined in "Mythologies." 这一看法见诸于他的《神话集》一书。

11 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

12 balloting   

v.（使）投票表决( ballot的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Clark took a commanding leading in the early balloting. 在最初投票时，克拉克遥遥领先。 来自辞典例句
• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句

13 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

14 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

15 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

16 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

17 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》

18 tabulation   

作表，表格； 表列结果； 列表； 造表

参考例句：

• A tabulation of a function of two variables is cumbersome, but possible. 二元函数的列表法是不方便的，然而是可能的。
• Such a tabulation cannot represent adequately the complex gradation relationships between the types. 这样的图表不能充分代表各类型之间的复杂级配关系。