2007年VOA标准英语-Mauritania Election Heads to Runoff

By Kari Barber
Dakar
12 March 2007

In Mauritania, results from Sunday's presidential election indicate a second round of voting will be necessary. The top two vote getters are a former government minister and an opposition¹ leader. International observers say the voting process has been transparent² and fair in the nation's first post-coup presidential poll. Kari Barber reports from our West Africa bureau in Dakar.

Mauritanian presidential candidate Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi casts his vote in Nouakchott, 11 March 2007

Results released from the interior ministry³ show a tight race between former minister Sidi Ould Sheik Abdellahi and Ahmed Ould Daddah. Both candidates held more than 20 percent of the vote. Following at a distance in third was the youngest contender, 41-year-old economist⁴ Zeine Ould Zeidane.

A candidate needs at least 50 percent of the vote to win office and avoid a second round.

Campaign observers say the process has been free and fair. But there was one confirmed incident of violence as unidentified, armed men killed a guard at a vote counting site overnight and shot at an EU vehicle. The men escaped. It is unclear whether they intended to attack the voting station or EU workers.

Local analyst⁵ Racine Sy says there were concerns early in the campaign that the military leadership, which overthrew⁶ long-time president Maaouiya Old Taya in 2005, was backing Sheik Abdellahi. But Sy says he is happy with how the election has been managed.

"When they came to power they had a lot of promises, but and the end we had certain fears because of declarations we heard from the head of state," he said. "It turned out to be very good; it turned out to be a democratic election."

Campaign observer Fatimata Mbaye says she is watching closely to make sure the military junta⁷ keeps their promise to stay out of the election process. She says that if a second round does not take place, it could be a sign the military is meddling⁸.

"We think we will have a second round for this election, and if we do not have a second round, that means something is wrong and the people will react," she said.

Mbaye says she is pleased with the process and optimistic about the country's future as a democracy.

"Now we are tasting our democracy and we hope we will get it the right way," she said. "It is really our hope, and we think that we can do something and we can get someone who can really govern this country."

Mauritania recently became an oil-producing nation. The spending of that new windfall of revenue has been a top issue in the election.

The presidential poll represents the final step of a transition from military to civilian⁹ rule in the nation. A successful democratic hand over of power has never occurred in Mauritania.

If a second round of voting takes place, it will be the first time in Mauritanian history a leader did not win outright¹⁰ in the first round.

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

5 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

6 overthrew   

overthrow的过去式

参考例句：

• The people finally rose up and overthrew the reactionary regime. 人们终于起来把反动的政权推翻了。
• They overthrew their King. 他们推翻了国王。

7 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

8 meddling   

v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
• They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

9 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。

10 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。