VOA常速英语2007年-Pakistani Officials Prepare Caretaker Governmen

By Barry Newhouse
Islamabad
15 November 2007

Pakistani officials are finalizing¹ plans for a caretaker government that will succeed the current parliament and oversee² January elections. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from Islamabad that while President Pervez Musharraf tries to make the elections appear credible³ despite emergency rule, his opponents are busy uniting against him.

November 15 has long been considered a crucial date on Pakistan's political calendar because it marks the official end of the current parliamentary term - as well as the presidential term of General Musharraf.

But when he imposed emergency law and suspended the constitution earlier this month, he said while parliament would still expire this day, he would continue to serve as president and army chief.

Ahsan Iqbal, a spokesman for former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party, says General Musharraf's actions are uniting his political opponents.

"On these demands there is complete convergence among all opposition⁴ parties," he said. "And that gives hopes that they may form a formal or informal alliance for the restoration of democracy, which will be very broad-based."

News reports say Mr. Sharif has been speaking with his rival and fellow former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, about uniting against the president.

1 finalizing   

vt.完成（finalize的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• You may edit registered information any time during the finalizing period. 您可以在规定期限内随时编辑修改注册资料。 来自互联网
• Natsun Trimming & Ironing, Finalizing the Perfection. 40南山整烫，完美在此定格。 来自互联网

2 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

3 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

4 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。