VOA常速英语2007-Ukraine Election Indecisive, Tarnished With Clai

By Peter Fedynsky
Kyiv
02 October 2007

With more than 97 percent of the vote counted in Ukraine's special parliamentary election, the country's leading political parties are maneuvering¹ to be part of the ruling coalition². But a slow ballot³ returns from areas that support Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych have prompted suspicions of fraud. VOA Correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

A final tally⁴ is not expected before Wednesday, but as the count nears 100 percent, the Regions Party of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych maintains the lead with 34 percent of the total so far. BYuT, or the Bloc⁵ of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, has a 30 percent share and President Viktor Yushchenko's Our Ukraine Party trails follows with 14 percent.

An alliance between BYuT and Our Ukraine could return Ms. Tymoshenko to the prime minister's office and revive the so-called Orange coalition between her party and that of President Yushchenko. Both politicians had a bitter falling out less than a year after the Orange Revolution, which followed the disputed presidential election of 2004.

The loser in that election, Viktor Yanukovych, was appointed as prime minister by Mr. Yushchenko. To remain in office, Mr. Yanukovych will need to outmaneuver the Orange team.

His Regions Party's most likely ally are the Socialists⁶, but they have, so far, failed to garner⁷ the minimum to enter parliament. Several political leaders have raised suspicions of possible vote fraud to boost the Socialists over the minimum and thereby⁸ help Mr. Yanukovych's Regions Party.

On Monday, President Yushchenko ordered an investigation⁹ into this allegation. And Tuesday, the Acting¹⁰ Director of Ukraine's Security Service, Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, assured voters the situation is under control.

"We have the means to prevent fraud, for two reasons," says Nalyvaichenko. "We are open, we have received calls from citizens, and are aware of the situation." He says the government can make sure that the results of the election will not be falsified.

Cheating in 2004 led to the Orange Revolution, a protest involving millions of Ukrainians over several weeks of frigid¹¹ weather in late 2004. The country's Constitutional Court nullified the fraudulent election, which prevented Mr. Yanukovych from becoming president.

Other important players in the coalition stakes could be the Communists and the Lytvyn Bloc of former parliamentary speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn. Both have crossed the three percent threshold.

With the election's uncertain results, Ukraine could face continuing political gridlock. Ukrainian political analysts¹² note that with the next presidential election just two years away, potential candidates are likely to pursue populist measures instead of introducing much needed reforms. The central figures in the current coalition struggle are also known to harbor presidential ambitions.

A poster appearing on the streets of Kyiv offers a satire¹³ on what many Ukrainians consider a stagnant¹⁴ situation. It shows Yushchenko, Yanukovych and Tymoshenko as old and gray politicians still running for office many years from now.

1 maneuvering   

v.移动，用策略( maneuver的现在分词 )；操纵

参考例句：

• This Manstein did, with some brilliant maneuvering under the worse winter conditions. 曼施坦因在最恶劣的严冬条件下，出色地施展了灵活机动的战术，终于完成了任务。 来自辞典例句
• In short, large goals required farsighted policies, not tactical maneuvering. 一句话，大的目标需要有高瞻远瞩的政策，玩弄策略是不行的。 来自辞典例句

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 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。

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 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

6 socialists   

社会主义者( socialist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The socialists saw themselves as true heirs of the Enlightenment. 社会主义者认为自己是启蒙运动的真正继承者。
• The Socialists junked dogma when they came to office in 1982. 社会党人1982年上台执政后，就把其政治信条弃之不顾。

7 garner   

v.收藏；取得

参考例句：

• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
• Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。

8 thereby   

adv.因此，从而

参考例句：

• I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
• He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

9 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

10 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

11 frigid   

adj.寒冷的，凛冽的；冷淡的；拘禁的

参考例句：

• The water was too frigid to allow him to remain submerged for long.水冰冷彻骨，他在下面呆不了太长时间。
• She returned his smile with a frigid glance.对他的微笑她报以冷冷的一瞥。

12 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

13 satire   

n.讽刺，讽刺文学，讽刺作品

参考例句：

• The movie is a clever satire on the advertising industry.那部影片是关于广告业的一部巧妙的讽刺作品。
• Satire is often a form of protest against injustice.讽刺往往是一种对不公正的抗议形式。

14 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。