VOA常速英语2007年-Zimbabwe Groups Say Elections Should Be Postpon

By Scott Bobb
Johannesburg
09 November 2007

In Zimbabwe, the government has indicated that it intends to move ahead with national elections early next year. But civic¹ groups and some political activists² say there is not enough time, and they should be postponed³. Correspondent Scott Bobb reports from our Southern Africa Bureau in Johannesburg.

Voter education groups in Zimbabwe say presidential and parliamentary elections due in March should be delayed, because there is not enough time to organize a proper vote.

The director of the Zimbabwe Civic Education Trust, David Chimhini, notes that the ruling ZANU-PF party and two factions⁴ of the opposition⁵ Movement for Democratic Change are still negotiating legal and political reforms aimed at ensuring a free and fair vote.

"The negotiations⁶ that are going on, mediated⁷ by South Africa, we still need to get that information relayed out to the electorate⁸ and we don't see sufficient time at the moment to do that," he said.

President Robert Mugabe's term expires in March, and he has said he will stand for re-election. Although the eighty-three-year-old Mugabe will face a weak and divided opposition, critics say the country's severe economic crisis poses a major threat to his rule. Zimbabwe has the highest inflation rate in the world, above 7,900 percent as well as food, fuel and foreign currency shortages.

Nevertheless, a senior government official this past week repeated that elections will be held as scheduled.

The head of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said his group would begin delineating voting districts this month.

Mugabe signed into law constitutional changes allowing Zimbabwe to hold presidential and parliamentary elections at the same time. They have previously⁹ been held separately.

Voter education groups say the combined elections will involve several paper ballots¹⁰ that will confuse voters if they are not properly educated beforehand.

The constitutional amendment¹¹ emerged from negotiations, mediated by South African President Thabo Mbeki, which began earlier this year at the urging of southern African heads of state.

Various parties to the ongoing¹² negotiations have privately¹³ said the talks are progressing well, but they note that many points are still being discussed.

These include proposed changes to laws governing political activity and the news media and measures to ensure what is termed a proper environment for a free and fair vote.

Chimhini says the current political environment is too tense to hold free and fair elections. "We still need to get assurances that the government and the ruling party will desist from any politically motivated violence," he said.

An international delegation¹⁴ of lawyers that visited Zimbabwe has reported that disrespect by security forces for the law and judicial¹⁵ system poses a serious threat to a free and fair vote.

The lawyers said that without impartial¹⁶ policing and human rights protections, it would be difficult for the citizens of Zimbabwe to participate freely in any democratic process.

1 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

4 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

5 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。

6 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

7 mediated   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

8 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

9 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。

10 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》

11 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

12 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

13 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

14 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

15 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

16 impartial   

adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的

参考例句：

• He gave an impartial view of the state of affairs in Ireland.他对爱尔兰的事态发表了公正的看法。
• Careers officers offer impartial advice to all pupils.就业指导员向所有学生提供公正无私的建议。