VOA标准英语2009年-Opponents of Niger President Agree to

Niger's opposition¹ coalition² has agreed to hold mediated³ talks after months of refusing to participate. The group had previously⁴ said it would accept nothing less than a return to the political order before the August referendum that granted President Tandja a further three years in power.

Kate Thomas | Dakar 18 December 2009

 
Photo: AP
Niger President Mamadou Tandja (file photo)

Political opponents of Niger's President Mamadou Tandja have agreed to mediation⁵ talks to resolve the country's political crisis.

Niger's opposition coalition has agreed to hold mediated talks after months of refusing to participate. The group had previously said it would accept nothing less than a return to the political order before the August referendum that granted President Tandja a further three years in power.

When Niger's parliament and its constitutional court said that referendum was illegal, President Tandja dissolved parliament and ruled by decree. Opposition parties then boycotted⁶ the referendum.

Opposition member Abdul-Aziz Amadou said mediation talks would be held in the capital Niamey, not the Nigerian capital Abuja, which had been highlighted as a possible location for security reasons.

"It's [bout alternance, it's]about democracy, it's about giving somebody else a chance to become president, to do something better," he said.

Issoufou Assoumlane is another member of the opposition coalition. He said he is hopeful that the talks will go ahead in Niamey as planned.

Assoumlane also said that he and other members are not anticipating further setbacks and are looking forwards to starting the negotiations⁷.

The agreement comes on the 51st anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Niger.

Opposition protesters gathered in Niamey earlier this week to criticize President Tandja's failure to stand down. His five-year presidential term was originally due to expire December 22, before it was extended by the August referendum. He is now also eligible⁸ to run for another term in office three years from now.

Nouhou Arzika is the leader of the Patriotic⁹ Movement for the Defense¹⁰ of the Nation, a group that backed President Tandja's referendum. He said there is no need for change within the government.

President Tandja has said that he needs to stay in power to oversee¹¹ mining developments, particularly in the uranium sector¹².

The international community remains¹³ unconvinced.

The European Union has frozen funding to development projects in Niger and the country has been suspended from the Economic Community of West African States.

The U.S. Millennium¹⁴ Challenge Corporation has also frozen $20 million in aid in protest at the extended referendum.
 

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 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。

3 mediated   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

4 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

5 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

6 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。

7 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

8 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

9 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

10 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

11 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

12 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

14 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。