2006年VOA标准英语-Former Ivory Coast President Launches New

By Nico Colombant
Abidjan
11 March 2006

 
Ivory Coast's former president Henri Konan Bedie 
  
The previously¹ deposed² president of divided Ivory Coast, Henri Konan Bedie, has launched a new bid to reclaim³ the presidency⁴ in possible elections later this year.

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Thousands of militants⁶ of the former long-time ruling party (PDCI) streamed into a sports stadium in the neighborhood of Treichville, banging drums and singing songs.

Speaker after speaker took to the stage.

This one said all farmers, taxi drivers, bus drivers and unemployed⁷ youth should rally behind Bedie.

He ended his speech with a rallying cry of Bedie for President.

One militant⁵, wearing a 'convention of March 11 for Bedie' t-shirt, explained to VOA why the day was important.

PDCI Supporters Outside Their Headquarters  
  
"Our president, Henri Konan Bedie, we are coming to invest him as candidate of PDCI-RDA.  Henri Konan Bedie is the best man. He can give the prosperity of Cote d'Ivoire," he said.

Ever since Bedie was toppled in a Christmas coup⁸ in 1999, the Ivorian economy, already crippled by slowing cocoa prices, has deteriorated⁹ further.  Bedie, now in his early 70s, was barred from elections in 2000, after a review board said he had failed to pass required medical exams.

This could be his last chance to run because of a current constitutional age limit for presidential candidates of 75.

An older militant said he is encouraged this year's election process is taking shape, after polls were canceled in October 2005.

 
Opposition¹⁰ Supporters Want Gbagbo Out 
  
"We can say it's an important thing we want to go through," he explained.  "So, now the parties are preparing this period. PDCI wants to win the election and to rule the country again, to implement¹¹ peace, and to give Cote d'Ivoire the place it had before."

Bedie's rule, following the 1993 death of long-time President Felix Hophouet-Boigny was marked by corruption¹² and the implementation¹³ of a system known as Ivorianess, which discriminated¹⁴ against northerners.

Current President Laurent Gbagbo, who will run as well, has attracted some former PDCI members into his camp by accusing the former colonial power France of meddling¹⁵ in Ivorian affairs.  A member of his party showed up, saying Saturday's events were important for democracy.

The other main opponent will be twice barred candidate, Alassane Ouattara, a former prime minister popular with northerners.

He was also present at Saturday's launch.  Ouattara and Bedie have said they will present a united front, if either faces Mr. Gbagbo in a second round run-off.

A new mediator-appointed prime minister, Charles Konan Banny, is in charge of disarming¹⁶ rebels and militias¹⁷, as well as identifying who is an Ivorian, and distributing voting cards, a very substantial program before scheduled elections in October.

Northern rebels took over half the country in late 2002, saying they were fighting to give equal rights to northerners, often considered as foreigners.  U.N. peacekeepers and a French rapid reaction force have created a buffer¹⁸ zone along the cease-fire line that separates rebels from the army and militias.

1 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

2 deposed   

v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证

参考例句：

• The president was deposed in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被废黜。
• The head of state was deposed by the army. 国家元首被军队罢免了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

4 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

5 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。

6 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

7 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

8 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

9 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

10 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。

11 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。

12 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

13 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

14 discriminated   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的过去式和过去分词 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• His great size discriminated him from his followers. 他的宽广身材使他不同于他的部下。
• Should be a person that has second liver virus discriminated against? 一个患有乙肝病毒的人是不是就应该被人歧视？

15 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

16 disarming   

adj.消除敌意的，使人消气的v.裁军( disarm的现在分词 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• He flashed her a disarming smile. 他朝她笑了一下，让她消消气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We will agree to disarming troops and leaving their weapons at military positions. 我们将同意解除军队的武装并把武器留在军事阵地。 来自辞典例句

17 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

18 buffer   

n.起缓冲作用的人(或物)，缓冲器；vt.缓冲

参考例句：

• A little money can be a useful buffer in time of need.在急需时，很少一点钱就能解燃眉之急。
• Romantic love will buffer you against life's hardships.浪漫的爱会减轻生活的艰辛。