VOA标准英语2010年-Ethiopian Opposition Coalition Calls f

Heather Murdock | Addis Ababa 01 June 2010

A coalition¹ of six Ethiopian opposition² parties has rejected recent election results and is calling for a new vote.  Government officials say the ruling party's landslide³ victory reflects the will of the people, while the opposition says the election was stolen.

 

Ethiopia's 65 political parties disagree on a lot of topics, but as opposition parties try to recover from what was a crushing loss, many are coming together on one subject: the election results.

The opposition parties took only 10 percent of the seats in the parliament, and they split those 47 seats seven ways.

A newly formed coalition of six opposition parties has joined together in calling for a new vote.  They say the election was rigged in favor the ruling party, and candidates and voters were harassed⁴.  

The coalition says it intends to petition the election board and the courts for a new vote.  If this process fails, the parties say they will continue the struggle, but they did not say how.

Government officials say political parties are welcome to air their grievances⁵, but a new election is not likely. 

Communications Minister Bereket Simon says complaints of fraud and voter harassment⁶ have been investigated, and no evidence was found to support them.  He says opposition parties lost because they failed to make their case to the public.

"I think the public has spoken," he said. "There is no controversy⁷ in the landslide victory.  If there is any controversy, it is only in those who have lost the public trust."

But coalition leaders say they have abundant evidence of wrong-doing, and their election observers were often expelled from the polling stations.  They say when they entered the race, they believed government promises that the election would be fair and democratic.

Ethiopian Justice and Democratic Forces Front General Secretary Garasu Gassa says the promise of fair elections turned out to be a "joke."

"They say we [will] make a conducive⁸ environment," he said.  "'Fair elections, free elections', they say, but now, it is not.  Just we understand, they are joking."

Garasu also says the election system is stacked against opposition parties, naturally favoring the incumbent⁹.  The Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front, led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, has ruled the country since it ousted¹⁰ the former government in 1991.

In 2005, the last time Mr. Meles' party won the parliamentary elections, protesters claiming fraud took to the streets.  Almost 200 people were killed and more than 100 were arrested in post-election violence.  Many of the arrested politicians, journalists and activists¹¹ were later pardoned, but some still live in exile, or in jail. 

Bereket, the communications minister, says the EPRDF's popularity has nothing to do with fraud.  The ruling party, he says, had a track record of consistently reducing poverty and encouraging development.

"It has done well in insuring rapid economic growth," he said.  "The ruling party has ensured that this growth has benefited the lower bottom of the population."

A leader from the Ethiopian Justice and Democratic Forces Front, Tekle Borena, says the government will take their complaints seriously.

"We totally believe that the governing party will accept all of our requests which have been forwarded to it, according to the law and the rules and regulations of the country," he said.  "Rules and regulations of the country have been violated, totally and seriously."

The leaders of Medrek and the All Ethiopian Unity¹² Party, the country's largest opposition parties, called for new elections last week.  The Ethiopia Democratic Party, which was the parliament's most active opposition party, also accused the government of fraud, but stopped short of calling for new elections.
 

1 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。

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 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

4 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

5 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

7 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

8 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

9 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

10 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

11 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》

12 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。