VOA标准英语2010年-Sudanese in US Question Legitimacy of

Elections scheduled this April in Sudan represent the first time in a generation that people there will get a chance to choose government leaders.  But Sudan's road to democracy is riddled¹ with accusations² of corruption³, voter intimidation⁴ and violence that could threaten to destabilize a fragile peace agreement between North and South Sudan. Sudanese living in the United States are closely watching developments in their country.
 
Peter Bul fled a life of war and poverty in Southern Sudan to live in the United States. His new life in Chicago, hometown of U.S. President Barack Obama, gives him a perspective on what a democratic vote might mean to the people in his homeland. "You are talking about Southern Sudan. We have never had an election, so people are not aware about how this is going to happen, so a transparent⁵ election, to Southern Sudan, I think is going to be hard to implement," he said.

Former President Jimmy Carter shares Bul's concerns. The non-profit Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia will monitor the upcoming elections. When asked if Sudan is ready for elections, Mr. Carter replied, "A lot of people are doubtful about it and we don't have any assurances about it."

A former U.S. Special Envoy⁶ to Sudan, Ambassador Richard Williamson, certainly has his doubts. "You do not have the prerequisites⁷ for a credible⁸ election because there's not freedom of the press or right to assembly," he said.

Pressure on Sudan from the United States and other countries led to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, or CPA, between the government in Khartoum and rebels in the south.

Sudanese expatriate Malual Awak explains that in addition to the elections, the CPA calls for a referendum on Southern Sudan's independence. "It spelled out clearly that after a six-year interim⁹ period, that Sudan would go into an election, both a parliamentary election and presidential election.  Then in 2011, there would be a referendum for Southern Sudanese to decide whether they could be a part of a unified¹⁰ Sudan or they could become an independent entity," he said.

Elections this spring would pave the way for a vote on Southern Sudan's independence, but many Sudanese are skeptical¹¹ the country's leader, President Omar al-Bashir, will allow the south to separate, if he remains¹² president.

President Bashir is at the center of international concerns over Sudan's election legitimacy¹³.  The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Bashir on charges of crimes against humanity related to the ongoing¹⁴ violence in Darfur.

He has stood defiant¹⁵ against the indictment¹⁶, and, says Ambassador Williamson, is looking at the upcoming elections as a way to stay in power. "One would suspect that President al-Bashir wants an election, hopes it overwhelmingly supports his re-election so he can try to reclaim¹⁷ some of the legitimacy he has lost," he said.

"I think the best way to address it regardless of the charges against al-Bashir or anything else, in Darfur and the rest of Sudan, is to allow them to have an honest and fair election and therefore bring peace," said Mr. Carter.

President Obama says the violence in Darfur amounts to genocide, and it has increasingly isolated¹⁸ President Bashir from the international community.  The inability of foreign governments to influence the Sudanese government to stop the violence also has led to concerns about the manner in which President Bashir's government will conduct the upcoming elections. "So the concerns are there's a pattern of delay, denial, and refusing to live up to commitments.  So if you have that history with the government in Khartoum, you obviously have serious questions," said Williamson.

Those serious questions linger in the mind of Peter Bul. "There's insecurity now in all of Southern Sudan.  There's still war in Darfur in western Sudan, so how are you going to have elections anyway when all of these things are going on?," he said.

The election is currently scheduled for April 11.  The Comprehensive Peace Agreement stipulates¹⁹ the elections were to be held no later than July 2009.  The current date could further delay the planned January 2011 vote on the future of Southern Sudan.

 

1 riddled   

adj.布满的；充斥的；泛滥的v.解谜，出谜题(riddle的过去分词形式)

参考例句：

• The beams are riddled with woodworm. 这些木梁被蛀虫蛀得都是洞。
• The bodies of the hostages were found riddled with bullets. 在人质的尸体上发现了很多弹孔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

3 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

4 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

5 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

6 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

7 prerequisites   

先决条件，前提( prerequisite的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Good muscles are one of the prerequisites of physical fitness. 肌肉发达是身体健康的一个必备条件。
• One of the outstanding prerequisites of any city is a local transportation system. 本地运输系统是任何城市的突出前提条件之一。

8 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

9 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

10 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

11 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

12 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。

13 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

14 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

15 defiant   

adj.无礼的，挑战的

参考例句：

• With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。
• He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。

16 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

17 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

18 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

19 stipulates   

n.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的名词复数 )；规定，明确要求v.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的第三人称单数 )；规定，明确要求

参考例句：

• The trade contract stipulates for the settlement of balances in RMB. 贸易合同规定余额以人民币结算。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The contract stipulates for the use of seasoned timber. 合同上订明用干透的木料。 来自辞典例句