2006年VOA标准英语-Mexico's Ruling-Party Candidate Ahead in Vote C

By Greg Flakus
Mexico City
06 July 2006

After a detailed¹ vote count, Mexico's Federal Electoral Institute, known as the IFE, is expected to release shortly a final report showing ruling-party presidential candidate Felipe Calderon ahead of leftist rival Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador by less than one percent.  This has not ended the wrangling² over who won the most contested election in Mexican history.

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Electoral officials pull out ballots³ from a box at 15th District office during final count,  Mexico City, July 5, 2006   
  
After all but a few of the votes had been counted and the final nationwide tally⁴ showed him around half a percentage point ahead, Felipe Calderon of the ruling National Action Party came before cheering supporters.

He said that after December 1, Mexico's inauguration⁵ day, all Mexicans will be his boss.  He called for reconciliation⁶, recognizing the need to reach out to the nearly two-thirds of the populace that did not vote for him.  

 
Felipe Calderon waves to supporters 
  
In an interview with the Associated Press, Calderon also suggested he would offer a cabinet post to Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, but it seems unlikely that the man who came in a close second in the official count would accept such an offer.  Instead, Lopez Obrador told reporters he rejects the final vote count.

Mr. Obrador said he would legally challenge the result in the Federal Electoral Tribunal, the body established by law for all such disputes.  He also said he would rally his supporters Saturday in Mexico City's main plaza⁷, called the Zocalo, and would put pressure on officials to examine evidence of what he called widespread irregularities in the voting process.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador greets a supporter, July 4 2006, in Mexico City  
  
Lopez Obrador also criticized the electoral institute for what he called a hurried process of counting.  He noted⁸ that officials had until Sunday, under the rules established by law to complete the process, which he said should have been done vote-by-vote.

IFE President Luis Carlos Ugalde, however, said that the law does not call for opening vote boxes and doing a complete recount unless there are indications of some problem.  He noted that representatives from every political party and international observers were on hand for the count and that officials followed all procedures established by law. 

The law also requires the recount to be complete without pause once it has begun, meaning that the people conducting the count were not even able to sleep until it was complete, something that would have made a prolonged effort lasting⁹ until Sunday almost humanly impossible.

Another question that emerged from the process concerned vote results Wednesday that showed Lopez Obrador more than one percentage point ahead, as opposed to the final results showing him a half point behind.  This was evidently the result of voting tallies¹⁰ from the northern Mexican states, where the ruling party has strong support, being counted last. 

Ruling-party officials accused Lopez Obrador representatives of carrying out complaints and maneuvers¹¹ in many northern states to delay the process there and give the impression that their candidate had an early lead.

The law establishes four days for legal challenges to be presented to the electoral tribunal, which has until the end of August to consider those challenges and make a decision as to their validity.  The tribunal must deliver its final pronouncement on who won the election to the House of Deputies, in the Mexican Congress, by September 6.
 
 

1 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

2 wrangling   

v.争吵，争论，口角( wrangle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The two sides have spent most of their time wrangling over procedural problems. 双方大部分时间都在围绕程序问题争论不休。 来自辞典例句
• The children were wrangling (with each other) over the new toy. 孩子为新玩具（互相）争吵。 来自辞典例句

3 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 tally   

n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致

参考例句：

• Don't forget to keep a careful tally of what you spend.别忘了仔细记下你的开支账目。
• The facts mentioned in the report tally to every detail.报告中所提到的事实都丝毫不差。

5 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

6 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

7 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

8 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。

9 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

10 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》

11 maneuvers   

n.策略，谋略，花招( maneuver的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He suspected at once that she had been spying upon his maneuvers. 他立刻猜想到，她已经侦察到他的行动。 来自辞典例句
• Maneuvers in Guizhou occupied the Reds for four months. 贵州境内的作战占了红军四个月的时间。 来自辞典例句