VOA标准英语2009年-Pro-Democracy Forces Demonstrate in Mauritania

Thousands of Mauritanians called for the return of the country's toppled civilian¹ president in the biggest pro-democracy rally since last August's military coup². Mauritania's military rulers lifted a ban on demonstrations³ ahead of a meeting in Paris Friday with European and African leaders.
　
General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz (file photo)

Parliament Speaker Messoude Ould Boulkhaire told the rally that military ruler General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz will never be president of Mauritania because soldiers have failed the country for more than three decades.

Boulkhaire rejected the general's plans for new elections in June, saying the only acceptable way forward is the return to power of toppled civilian President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdellahi. The nation's first freely-elected leader was overthrown⁴ when he tried to fire General Aziz last August.

The general says restoring President Abdellahi now would not serve the greater interests of the Mauritanian people. So he wants to change the constitution to allow soldiers to run for office because he says that best reflects what he calls Mauritania's new political and cultural reality. General Aziz is widely expected to run for president in June but has not publicly announced his candidacy.

The African Union (AU) has suspended Mauritania and placed a travel ban on civilian and military members of its ruling council.

The secretary general of the ruling council, Colonel Ahmedou Bemba Ould Baye says the path the military has chosen for Mauritania is irreversible. He says AU sanctions not only fail to recognize what he says are the positive developments since last year's coup but also the military's willingness to work toward a return to constitutional order.

While the military says it has the resources to weather tougher sanctions, it is moving to avoid a broader embargo⁵ following the suspension of most assistance from the World Bank and former-colonial-power France. The United States is blocking $15 million in military cooperation, more than $4 million in peacekeeping training, and $3 million in development assistance.

Part of the military government's strategy to avoid tougher international action appears to include allowing Thursday's rally, the first since public demonstrations were banned shortly after the coup. A press release from the Nouakchott district governor's office says it may end the ban that was introduced by the military for security reasons.

The decision comes a day before Friday's meeting in Paris between the African Union, the European Union, and representatives of both the toppled civilian government and the current military regime.
　
Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdellahi (file photo)

Protest organizer Abdel Koudousse Ebeidna says pro-democracy activists⁶ want the international community to isolate⁷ Mauritiania's military rulers until they agree to restore President Abdellahi to power.

"What we ask from the international community is just to apply what has been written in the treaties. And that is all. Really, we are not asking more. Just to respect democracy and the wish of the people. And you can see clearly today that the people refuse the coup," he said.

The U.S. State Department says attempts to silence President Abdellahi and the military's plans to hold unconstitutional elections in June violate democratic norms.

1 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

2 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。

3 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

4 overthrown   

adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词

参考例句：

• The president was overthrown in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被赶下台。
• He has overthrown the basic standards of morality. 他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。

5 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。