VOA标准英语2009年-UN Official Asks for Patience, Calm on Afg

A day ahead of the expected release of partial results from last Thursday's election in Afghanistan, the top United Nations official is asking for patience from the electorate¹, the candidates and the media. Our correspondent reports from Kabul.
　
U.N. special envoy² to Afghanistan Kai Eide during a press conference at the Electoral Complaints Commission in Kabul, 25 Aug 2009

U.N. special envoy Kai Eide has met with members of Afghanistan's Election Complaints Commission in the capital. The watchdog group, partly appointed by the U.N., is overseeing the complaints of voter fraud and other irregularities reported since last week's balloting³.

Under Afghan law, official results cannot be announced until serious complaints are adjudicated.

Eide, speaking to reporters, is calling for patience to allow the process to be completed, saying he is not surprised by the slow pace of the vote count.

"I do appeal to the candidates and to their campaigns and also to the voters to demonstrate the patience and calm that is required for the ECC [Election Complaints Commission] to carry out its work in order to make sure that when we look back at the entire election process that we can say that it had the credibility that is required," said Kai Eide.

Both the campaigns of incumbent⁴ President Hamid Karzai and his top challenger, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, accuse the other of illegal campaign activities and tampering⁵ with the voting process.

U.N. envoy Eide acknowledges there have been problems.

"There is no doubt that there have been irregularities during the polling day," he said. "There have been irregularities before the polling day, as you know."
　
News conference of Afghan Independent Election Commission in Kabul (Daoud Ali Najafi, center)

Election officials still not have released any figures on voter turnout. A low turnout could also damage the credibility of the presidential election - Afghanistan's first in five years.

The Afghan Independent Election Commission says tallies⁶ from 2,400 polling stations in several provinces will be released Tuesday. Complete nationwide preliminary results may not come for about another 10 days.

There will be a run-off election in the presidential contest if no candidate captures more than 50 percent of the vote.

1 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

2 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。

3 balloting   

v.（使）投票表决( ballot的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Clark took a commanding leading in the early balloting. 在最初投票时，克拉克遥遥领先。 来自辞典例句
• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句

4 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。

5 tampering   

v.窜改( tamper的现在分词 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄

参考例句：

• Two policemen were accused of tampering with the evidence. 有两名警察被控篡改证据。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• As Harry London had forecast, Brookside's D-day caught many meter-tampering offenders. 正如哈里·伦敦预见到的那样，布鲁克赛德的D日行动抓住了不少非法改装仪表的人。 来自辞典例句

6 tallies   

n.账( tally的名词复数 )；符合；（计数的）签；标签v.计算，清点( tally的第三人称单数 )；加标签（或标记）于；（使）符合；（使）吻合

参考例句：

• Cash on hand tallies with the figure in the accounts. 现款跟账上的数目没有出入。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He tallies his own marks. 他把自己的得分记了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》