Deadlock Continues Over Choice for Interim Iraqi President

 

Stephanie Ho

Iraqi, American and U.N. officials are deadlocked¹ over who should be president in the interim² Iraqi government that will take over the country June 30. Meanwhile, continuing violence claims more lives in Iraq, as President Bush honors American war dead.
The latest political stand-off in Iraq involves the Iraqi Governing Council on one side. U.S. and U.N. officials are on the other side.
Paul Bremer, head of the U.S.-led coalition³ administration, and Lakhdar Brahimi, U.N. envoy⁴ to Iraq, are said to favor Adnan Pachachi, who supports keeping foreign troops in Iraq until the security situation improves.
The council's choice is Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawar, who has been more critical of the U.S.-led occupation.
A Kurdish member of the Governing Council, Mahmoud Othman, accused the United States and the United Nations of interfering⁵ in the process of choosing Iraqi leaders. "Nobody has the right to make a government for Iraq, neither America nor Brahimi. We know how to make our own government," he said.
A meeting set for Monday to determine Iraq's president was postponed⁶ without explanation. Coalition spokesman Dan Senor rejected suggestions that the U.S.-led administration is trying to tell the Iraqi council what to do.
"We are certainly not in the position to control their schedule, and determined⁷ when they meet and when they don't meet. So, Ambassador Bremer didn't call their meetings. Ambassador Bremer doesn't cancel their meetings," he said.
注释：
deadlocked [5dedlCkt] adj. 陷入僵局的
take over 接管
stand-off 立场分歧
envoy [5envCi] n. 外交使节，特使
ghazi [5^B:zi:] n. 立誓与异教徒战斗的伊斯兰教徒战士
Kurdish [kuEdiF] adj. 库尔德人的
interfering [7intE5fiEriN] vbl. 妨碍

1 deadlocked   

陷入僵局的；僵持不下的

参考例句：

• The plan deadlocked over the funds. 这个计划由于经费问题而搁浅了。
• The meeting deadlocked over the wage issue. 会议因工资问题而停顿下来。

2 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。

3 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。

4 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。

5 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

6 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。

7 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。