2006年VOA标准英语-Ivory Coast Opposition Leader Questions Pa

By Joe Bavier
Abidjan
01 February 2006

Ivory Coast's popular northern opposition¹ leader, Alassane Ouattara, has formally regained² his position as leader of his party three years after he fled into exile. One week has passed since he returned to Ivory Coast, and on Wednesday he held a news conference. Among other things, he questioned a decision to extend the expired mandate³ of Ivory Coast's parliament and expressed support for U.N. sanctions against the country.

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Alassane Ouattara (June, 2005 file photo)   
  

Hundreds of young militant⁴ supporters of opposition leader Alassane Ouattara sang Wednesday as the leader of their party, known as the RDR, held his first news conference in Ivory Coast in three years.

They chanted "we are here for Ado - Ouattara's nickname - we are here for peace, with Ado we can live together."

The two main political issues he discussed at the news conference were the fate of parliament and U.N. sanctions.

Last week, President Gbagbo extended by decree the expired mandate of the National Assembly, despite a recommendation by international mediators not to do so. The body is dominated by Gbagbo supporters and has repeatedly blocked efforts to implement⁵ a nearly three-year-old peace deal.

Ouattara said the parliament's mandate expired in December and the president cannot extend its mandate.

"The president cannot dissolve parliament, and he cannot extend the term of parliament. The parliament cannot dismiss the president, and it cannot prolong the mandate of the president," he said.

Referring to a decision by international mediators to extend Mr. Gbagbo's term in office by 12 months, Mr. Ouattara said it was now up to the international community to decide whether to extend parliament.

"It is the African Union and the Security Council that took the decision to give one more year to President Gbagbo. So only the African Union and Security Council can do the same for the National Assembly," he said.

International mediators' recommendation last month not to extend the assembly's term sparked four days of violence by supporters of the president in Ivory Coast's government-controlled south. Attacks targeted U.N. facilities and personnel. The Security Council is now expected to decide whether to bring sanctions against the organizers of the violence.

Supporters of the president, known as Young Patriots⁶, have threatened more riots if sanctions are imposed on their leaders. Mr. Gbagbo's supporters are demanding that a timetable for the disarmament of northern rebels be released within two weeks.

Ouattara said Wednesday he believes the time is now right for sanctions, adding that all parties have agreed sanctions should be used against those blocking Ivory Coast's stalled peace process.

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 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

3 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

4 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

5 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

6 patriots   

爱国者，爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Abraham Lincoln was a fine type of the American patriots. 亚伯拉罕·林肯是美国爱国者的优秀典型。
• These patriots would fight to death before they surrendered. 这些爱国者宁愿战斗到死，也不愿投降。