VOA常速英语2007-Ukrainian President Says Coalition Talks Should

By Peter Fedynsky
Kyiv
03 October 2007

With less than half a percent of ballots¹ still uncounted in Ukraine's special parliamentary election, President Viktor Yushchenko has called for the country's three leading parties to begin coalition² talks.  But with at least five parties factoring into any coalition, the orientation³ of the next Ukrainian government is difficult to predict. VOA Correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports from Kyiv.

With nearly all of the vote counted, it is clear that no party will have an outright⁴ mandate⁵.  The leading vote-getter, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych's Regions Party has more than 34 percent.  Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's BYuT Party is second with nearly 31percent, and President Yushchenko's Our Ukraine party has slightly more than 14 percent. 

The so-called Orange forces of Ms. Tymoshenko and Mr. Yuschenko are expected to form an alliance to try and cobble together a ruling coalition. But Mr. Yanukovych will also try and assemble a majority.
 
Speaking on national television, President Yushchenko said his country will have true political stability when the three leading parties make compromises.

He said his message to key political forces is that they must start talks to formulate⁶ basic rules of forming a parliamentary majority and government, and also build relations between the government and the opposition⁷.

Mr. Yushchenko said the next coalition should tackle the difficult problems facing Ukraine, including creation of an economic development program that combines market forces with social justice, cancellation⁸ of parliamentary immunity⁹ for lawmakers, adoption¹¹ of an anti-corruption program, and safeguarding the country's energy sector¹².

Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych agreed with the president's call for unity¹⁰, adding that Ukraine does not need to look for enemies. 

Mr. Yanukovych says Ukrainian leaders need to find allies and rally around specific issues.  He is calling for the county's key political players to remember Ukraine's need to remain as one.

The so-called Orange forces of BYuT and Our Ukraine can form a majority coalition unless the Socialist¹³ party squeaks¹⁴ into parliament. 

At this point, the Socialists¹⁵ are very close to the three percent minimum for entering parliament.  If they break the threshold, they will deprive the Orange coalition of a majority.  

This would put former speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn in the position of kingmaker.  His organization, the Lytvyn Block, is assured of seats with just less-than four percent of the vote.  The Communists, who distrust the Orange forces, have five percent of the vote and will most likely support Regions.  

Ukrainians have coined the word koalitsiada, or coalition cavalcade¹⁶, for the recent turmoil¹⁷ in parliament.  Many in this country also say they are tired of general elections - three in as many years - and say they doubt anything will change soon. 

1 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》

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 orientation   

n.方向，目标；熟悉，适应，情况介绍

参考例句：

• Children need some orientation when they go to school.小孩子上学时需要适应。
• The traveller found his orientation with the aid of a good map.旅行者借助一幅好地图得知自己的方向。

4 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

5 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。

6 formulate   

v.用公式表示；规划；设计；系统地阐述

参考例句：

• He took care to formulate his reply very clearly.他字斟句酌，清楚地做了回答。
• I was impressed by the way he could formulate his ideas.他陈述观点的方式让我印象深刻。

7 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。

8 cancellation   

n.删除，取消

参考例句：

• Heavy seas can cause cancellation of ferry services.海上风浪太大，可能须要取消渡轮服务。
• Her cancellation of her trip to Paris upset our plan.她取消了巴黎之行打乱了我们的计划。

9 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

10 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

11 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

12 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

13 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

14 squeaks   

n.短促的尖叫声，吱吱声( squeak的名词复数 )v.短促地尖叫( squeak的第三人称单数 )；吱吱叫；告密；充当告密者

参考例句：

• The upper-middle-classes communicate with each other in inaudible squeaks, like bats. 那些上中层社会的人交谈起来象是蚊子在哼哼，你根本听不见。 来自辞典例句
• She always squeaks out her ideas when she is excited. 她一激动总是尖声说出自己的想法。 来自互联网

15 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。

16 cavalcade   

n.车队等的行列

参考例句：

• A cavalcade processed through town.马车队列队从城里经过。
• The cavalcade drew together in silence.马队在静默中靠拢在一起。

17 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。