VOA标准英语2009年-Guinea Military Ruler May Run for Presiden

Guinea's military ruler may run for president in elections that he has postponed¹ until next year.
　
Captain Moussa Dadis Camara (File Photo)

When Army Captain Moussa Camara took power in a coup² last December, he told Guineans that no one in his ruling council would stand as a candidate in elections to follow because the military had no wish to cling to power.

Nine months later, that ruling council now says it is up to voters to choose their leaders without discrimination or internal or external pressure. A statement read on national television said any member of the ruling council or any other citizen "is free to put forward their candidacy for the national election if they so desire."

Following that statement, supporters of Captain Camara rallied in the capital Conakry urging him to run for president. Adja Saran Kaba heads of group Guinean businesswomen.

Kaba says her group organized the demonstration³ to show people that women are with the president. She says women want Captain Camara to run as a civilian⁴ in elections now scheduled for January 2010.

While not formally declaring his candidacy, Captain Camara said the military will follow the women's advice and do as they have requested. Thanking them for their confidence, he says he will not humiliate⁵ them by ignoring their demands.

He says it is only you, the women of Guinea, who can ask the military to remove their uniforms and run as civilians⁶.

Captain Camara last week delayed presidential and legislative⁷ elections that were scheduled for later this year. The U.S. Embassy in Conakry Thursday issued a statement saying that postponement⁸ is disappointing and the candidacy of any member of the ruling military council in that vote would undermine its transparency and credibility.

Captain Camara says it is a decision that is up to the people of Guinea.

He says no pressure can prevent the military from playing its role in the future of the country. Captain Camara says he has always said that anything the women of Guinea want, the military will obey.

When the military asked him to delay the vote two months ago, Captain Camara said he would not. He told German Ambassador Karl Prinz that he signed an agreement promising⁹ not to be a candidate in 2009, and that would not change.

But when the ambassador said the European Union was worried that he might be a candidate if the vote were put back to 2010, Captain Camara reacted angrily, saying the ambassador should remember that he was speaking to a president who took power without spilling blood and therefore deserves the ambassador's respect. He shouted that he is not a criminal and does not need conditions from anyone.

Captain Camara told supporters at a rally this past weekend that Guineans who are always going to foreign embassies and international institutions to impose themselves as future presidents should be ashamed. He says it is the people and the army of Guinea who have made him president.

Guinea is the world's largest producer of aluminum¹⁰ ore but is one of its poorest countries. The nation remains¹¹ suspended from both the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States because of Captain Camara's coup which followed the death of long-time leader Lansana Conte.

1 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。

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 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

4 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。

5 humiliate   

v.使羞辱，使丢脸[同]disgrace

参考例句：

• What right had they to bully and humiliate people like this?凭什么把人欺侮到这个地步呢？
• They pay me empty compliments which only humiliate me.他们虚情假意地恭维我，这只能使我感到羞辱。

6 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

7 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

8 postponement   

n.推迟

参考例句：

• He compounded with his creditors for a postponement of payment. 他与债权人达成协议延期付款。
• Rain caused the postponement of several race-meetings. 几次赛马大会因雨延期。

9 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。

10 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

11 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。