VOA常速英语2008年-Low Turnout in Egypt Poll Amid Opposition Boyco

By Challiss McDonough
Cairo
08 April 2008

Turnout has been very light in Egypt's local council elections as the main opposition¹ group urged its followers² to boycott³ the election when its candidates were disqualified. VOA Correspondent Challiss McDonough has more from Cairo.

Most polling stations in Cairo appeared to be almost empty amid an opposition boycott and a general feeling of apathy⁴ among the voters, as well as anxiety over clashes to the north of the capital.

The election was taking place after two days of riots over food prices and low wages in the Nile Delta⁵ town of Mahalla, where a teenage boy was shot by police overnight and later died of his wounds.

A number of arrests was reported in the town Tuesday, and the prime minister went to negotiate with the workers. Reports from Mahalla said voting had been canceled there after the clashes, and some of the seats there were handed out to opposition and independent candidates.

Local council elections have taken on a new significance since the constitution was amended⁶ last year, requiring any independent candidate for president to have the support of at least 140 local councilors. But almost all opposition candidates disqualified, few people seemed to be bothering to vote.

The Muslim Brotherhood⁷, which is Egypt's largest opposition group even though it is officially banned, announced Monday it was boycotting⁸ the poll because election officials allowed only 20 of its candidates to register. There are 52,000 local council seats, and the group tried to field 10,000 candidates.

The state-run MENA news agency said 70 percent of the races nationwide had already been decided⁹ because candidates from the ruling National Democratic Party were running unopposed.

In central-Cairo's conservative Manial neighborhood polling stations appeared largely abandoned. A 23-year-old man named Hani said he had no plans to vote.

"Yes I did, in the last election I voted, but this one I do not think I am going to vote," said Hani. "Because I think this time it is not so fair like the other one, so I am not going to vote because I think it is not going to be so fair, so I am not going to participate in it."

He did not say what party or candidate he might have supported, but he indicated that whoever it was did not make it onto the ballot¹⁰.

"Because I have heard that they have neglected some candidates and they have removed some names from the list, so I am not going to participate in it," he said.

Even people who support the ruling party said they see little reason to vote. A few blocks away, a man who called himself Abu Laila said he was a proud member of the ruling NDP, but had no intention of voting.

He said he does not have a voter registration¹¹ card and does not want one. He said, "Whatever the party wants will happen. Myself, I am a member of the NDP, and I support the NDP, but I do not like voting and chaos¹² and all that stuff."

He said he has been disillusioned¹³ by previous elections where candidates have promised a lot during the campaign but then failed to deliver.

He said, "As soon as they get their seat, they just ... forget about us, and we do not see them after the elections."

He gestures dismissively at a nearby wall, where the faces of local candidates peer out from election posters, all bearing the ruling-party logo.

He said, "Ask anyone, do you know who your representative is? And they will say no, we do not know him, we just see his picture on the walls."

At nearby polling stations, police appeared to be systematically¹⁴ keeping journalists out. One officer burst out laughing when a VOA reporter asked to see the voting room. He insisted that party agents and independent election monitors were inside, but reporters were not to be allowed in.

An early report by one monitoring group indicated some irregularities with the voter registration lists and noted¹⁵ incidents of vote-buying, which residents of some districts of Cairo also reported seeing.

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 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

3 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

4 apathy   

n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡

参考例句：

• He was sunk in apathy after his failure.他失败后心恢意冷。
• She heard the story with apathy.她听了这个故事无动于衷。

5 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

6 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。

7 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

8 boycotting   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店，因为那里的店员在罢工。
• The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 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。

11 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

12 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

13 disillusioned   

a.不再抱幻想的，大失所望的，幻想破灭的

参考例句：

• I soon became disillusioned with the job. 我不久便对这个工作不再抱幻想了。
• Many people who are disillusioned in reality assimilate life to a dream. 许多对现实失望的人把人生比作一场梦。

14 systematically   

adv.有系统地

参考例句：

• This government has systematically run down public services since it took office.这一屆政府自上台以来系统地削减了公共服务。
• The rainforest is being systematically destroyed.雨林正被系统地毀灭。

15 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。