VOA标准英语2009年-Security Tightens Following Overnight Curf

Gabon's Interior Ministry¹ is introducing tougher security measures across the country after opposition² riots brought an overnight curfew to a key port city. The violence followed the announcement that the son of the country's long-time leader has been elected president.
　
Men walk by tires set on fire by opposition supporters in Libreville, after official results of presidential elections, Gabon, 03 Sep 2009

Interior Minister Jean-Francois Ndongou says the extra security measures are meant to maintain order following his announcement that former Defense³ Minister Ali Ben Bongo won Sunday's presidential election.

That proclamation set-off rioting in the city of Port Gentil, where opposition demonstrators burned the French consulate⁴, looted nearby shops, and broke prisoners out of jail.

Following a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Port Gentil, there were reports of sporadic⁵ gunfire Friday. Ndongou says the curfew will be repeated "as long as necessary if calm does not prevail."

The French Foreign Ministry says French troops in Gabon are on alert and plans have been made to evacuate⁶ French nationals in Port Gentil following attacks on facilities owned by the French oil firm Total. Those evacuation plans have not yet been put into action with French citizens currently advised simply to stay at home.

Most shops in the capital Libreville remained closed Friday after security forces dispersed⁷ opposition demonstrators with tear gas Thursday. Politicians allied⁸ with opposition candidate Pierre Mamboundou say he was slightly injured in the unrest and has now gone into hiding.

The violence followed days of delays in announcing final results as the electoral commission split over its authority to investigate returns from nearly 3,000 polling stations

During that delay, the three leading candidates all declared themselves the winner.
　
Ali Bongo greets supporters in Libreville after being declared winner of bitter presidential election in Gabon, 03 Sep 2009

But when the final results were announced, victory went to Mr. Bongo with nearly 42 percent of the vote. The Interior Ministry says Mamboundou and former Interior Minister Andre Mba Obame each won more than 25 percent.

Gabon does not have a second round of voting if no candidate wins more than half the ballots¹⁰.

In his only public comments since being declared the winner, Mr. Bongo said now, more than ever, Gabon should be an example in all areas.

He says this is the path he now wants to build with the Gabonese people in an emerging country, vowing¹¹ to give all his energy in this term in office to which he has been elected.

Mr. Bongo says he will always give priority to maintaining peace and consolidating¹² national unity¹³. Redistributing national wealth to everyone is a non-negotiable imperative¹⁴. Mr. Bongo says he is and will always be a partner of the Gabonese people, inviting¹⁵ everyone to combine their intelligence and strength to improve living conditions and security.

Opposition candidates Obame and Mamboundou are both rejecting the results. Obame says some ballot⁹ boxes were stuffed for the ruling party and opposition supporters were excluded from the vote count. Mamboundou also accuses the ruling party of fraud, saying the Gabonese people do not want power passed dynastically from father to son.

African Union observers say the vote was held in a general atmosphere of calm and tranquility despite irregularities that included the presence of security officers around the polls, confusion about electoral laws, the absence of officials during vote counting, and some ballot boxes not being properly sealed.

Former colonial power France says the vote took place under "acceptable conditions" and losing candidates who want to contest the result should do so in Gabon's constitutional court.

Mr. Bongo's election is not official until that court validates¹⁶ his win.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 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。

3 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。

4 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。

5 sporadic   

adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular；分散的

参考例句：

• The sound of sporadic shooting could still be heard.仍能听见零星的枪声。
• You know this better than I.I received only sporadic news about it.你们比我更清楚，而我听到的只是零星消息。

6 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

7 dispersed   

adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的

参考例句：

• The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。
• After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后，孩子们四散回家了。

8 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

9 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

10 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》

11 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

12 consolidating   

v.（使）巩固， （使）加强( consolidate的现在分词 )；（使）合并

参考例句：

• These measures are meant for consolidating the system of basic medical care. 这些举措旨在夯实基层医疗体系，让老百姓看大病不必出远门。 来自互联网
• We are consolidating the Chinese and English versions of our homepage. 我们将为您提供中英文版本一起的主页。 来自互联网

13 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

14 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

15 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

16 validates   

v.证实( validate的第三人称单数 )；确证；使生效；使有法律效力

参考例句：

• Other research validates that when it comes to chocolate, type does matter. 其他的研究也证实了不同种类的巧克力确实功效不同。 来自互联网
• Trouble shoots equipment, review and validates data and complete reports. 管理错误描述设备，审查并确认试验数据，完成试验报告。 来自互联网