VOA标准英语2009-Indonesia's Presidential Campaign Begins Qui

Indonesia's presidential election race has begun. Although many voters and political analysts² in the country expect the popular President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to win re-election, there are concerns about the running mates of his main rivals.

There was little ceremony as Indonesia's presidential campaign officially began this week.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was in South Korea for an Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting. So his chief campaign rivals, former President Megawati Sukarnoputri and current Vice-President Jusef Kalla, have been content to meet with party members and plot their next moves.

Controversial running mates
　
Democratic Party of Struggle chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri (l) with her running mate Prabowo Subianto during a draw at General Election Commission office in Jakarta, 30 May 2009

Both challengers have selected controversial running mates. Ms. Megawati has taken former General Prabowo Subianto as her teammate, while Kalla's running mate is former General Wiranto, who goes by one name.

Many human rights activists³ regard both men as human rights abusers for their actions when East Timor voted to become independent of Indonesia, and in other cases. Prabowo is barred from entering the United States because of his reputation for violating human rights.

Indria Fernida is the deputy coordinator⁴ of Indonesia's leading human rights advocacy group, Kontras.

"Wiranto, he is [was] chief of the national police when the referendum in East Timor [took place] so he is responsible for all the riots in East Timor," said Fernida. "Prabowo was responsible for the disappearance⁵ [of] activists in 1998 and 1999 before [former President] Suharto's falling."

She says the families of those who disappeared or were killed on the orders of Wiranto and Prabowo are deeply angered by their candidacies.

"We just visit one of the victims a few days ago; her son was disappeared in 1998," said Fernida. "And she was very angry when Prabowo and Wiranto became a candidate because she went to some of the institutions of the government of the last 10 years, most of them promised to solve the case."

"Her daughter said when she saw the television she want[ed] to broke the television because she's very upset that this person [has] become one of the leaders in our country," she added.

But Fernida says many Indonesians have short memories and are more concerned about their day-to-day economic circumstances than human rights.

And Prabowo has excited many with his talk on economics. "I have some real ideas on how to turn this country around from being a second-rate, third-rate country that's always begging for foreign aid, amidst wealth," he said.

"You know we are a very wealthy country but we don't seem to be able to get our act together. Our people are sentenced to be poor - our economic model, our economic system actually in essence perpetuates⁶ an oligarchy," he added.

Prabowo has made no secret of his own presidential ambitions. But his party Gerindra received less than five percent of the votes in April's parliamentary elections, below the 20 percent required for the party to field its own presidential candidate.

Jeffrey Winters, an Indonesian political expert from Northwestern University in the United States, thinks Ms. Megawati may have offered Prabowo key cabinet portfolios⁷ to get him on her ticket. But Winters says, he is unlikely to make a difference in the success of her campaign.

"There was no other way for her to make a ticket other than to cut such a deal. If she had not cut this deal it would also have been the end of Megawati as a political figure in Indonesia," he said. "So this is her last chance to pull off her political future and everything for Megawati is riding on this election. And it doesn't look very promising⁸."

Safe choice for President
　
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (center) and former Central Bank Gov. Budiono hold the nation's presidential candidates electoral number in Jakarta, 30 May 2009

President Yudhoyono surprised many with his choice of Boediono, who goes by one name, as his running mate.

Boediono, who up until his candidacy served as the governor of Indonesia's central bank, impresses some voters with his pragmatic approach to economics.

Sunny Tanuwidjaja is a political analyst¹ at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta. He says Boediono is a safe choice for President Yudhoyono.

"For Yudhoyono he has an overwhelming popularity, right," said Tanuwidjaja. "He is trying to select a vice-presidential candidate that will not endanger his dominant⁹ position, that's his primary goals. And his second goal of course is to be able to maintain harmony among his coalition¹⁰ and by picking a neutral candidate I think he is able to sustain harmony."

Candidates must win more than 50 percent of the popular vote to avoid a runoff vote, which would likely be held in September.

Northwestern's Winters says that President Yudohoyono's popularity means that he is almost certain to win the July 8 election, and may not have to worry about having to woo voters in runoff.

1 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

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 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》

4 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

5 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

6 perpetuates   

n.使永存，使人记住不忘( perpetuate的名词复数 )；使永久化，使持久化，使持续

参考例句：

• Giving these events a lot of media coverage merely perpetuates the problem. 媒体大量地报道这些事件只会使问题持续下去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Lack of water perpetuates poverty, increases the risk of political instability, and affects global prosperity. 水资源短缺导致贫穷，使政局不稳，且影响全球的繁荣。 来自互联网

7 portfolios   

n.投资组合( portfolio的名词复数 )；（保险）业务量；（公司或机构提供的）系列产品；纸夹

参考例句：

• Price risk arises in non-trading portfolios, as well as in trading portfolios. 价格风险中出现的非贸易投资，以及在贸易投资组合。 来自互联网
• How do we fatten our portfolios and stay financially healthy? 我们怎样育肥我们的投资结构和维持财政健康呢？ 来自互联网

8 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

9 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

10 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。