VOA常速英语2007年-UN Secretary-General Urges Lebanese Leaders to

By Edward Yeranian
Beirut
16 November 2007

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging Lebanon's top leaders to put aside their differences and hold a free presidential election before November 24. Outgoing president Emile Lahoud's term expires at midnight on November 23. Edward Yeranian reports for the VOA from Beirut.

 

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is holding talks with Lebanese leaders for a second day Friday in a bid to secure an agreement that presidential elections are held as scheduled by parliament on November 21.

Ban urged Lebanese politicians to hold elections next week, following two attempts since October by parliament to do so.

"It is imperative¹ that the parliament convenes² in order to elect the new president," he said. "This president must be committed to the Taef constitutional accord, the constitution and international legitimacy³."

The Lebanese media has been increasingly skeptical⁴ that parliament will meet before the term of outgoing President Emile Lahoud ends, evoking⁵ the possibility of two rival governments being formed by Lebanon's warring camps.

Ban met with Lebanon's Maronite Christian⁶ Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir Friday morning, throwing his support behind the leader of the country's largest Christian sect⁷. This is seen as a bid to come up with a list potential candidates that would be acceptable to both the governing March 14 coalition⁸, a group of Sunni, Druse and Christian leaders that is allied⁹ with the West, and the Hezbollah-led opposition¹⁰.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner urged the Patriarch to draw up such a list, while visiting, earlier this week, despite the his reluctance¹¹.

Ban Ki Moon says the political situation in Lebanon is "complex" and is calling for "free and fair elections without outside pressure or meddling¹²."

The pro-Syrian Hezbollah, which is spearheading the opposition says that it has handed the name of its choice for president to Patriarch Sfeir, last night. Beirut's An Nahar newspaper says that former Army Commander Michel Aoun is Hezbollah's choice.

General Aoun, for his part, blasted the United States, saying that he opposes U.S. policy in Lebanon, for allegedly trying to block his candidacy for president.

Ibrahim Kena'an, a member of parliament close to the general, says that Mr. Aoun told Ban Ki Moon that he is hoping for a negotiated political solution:

"We are committed to this presidential election," he said. "We would like to see Lebanon out of this crisis and we would like to see a national consensus¹³."

Ban has also met with pro-government parliamentary majority leader Sa'ad Hariri, and the opposition parliament speaker Nabih Berri and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt.

1 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

2 convenes   

召开( convene的第三人称单数 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The Premier convenes and presides over the executive meetings and plenary meetings of the State Council. 总理召集和主持国务院常务会议和国务院全体会议。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法
• Chinese woman tenth the National People Congress convenes grandly today in Beijing. 中国妇女第十次全国代表大会今天在北京隆重召开。

3 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

4 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

5 evoking   

产生，引起，唤起( evoke的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Some occur in organisms without evoking symptoms. 一些存在于生物体中，但不发生症状。
• Nowadays, the protection of traditional knowledge is evoking heat discussion worldwide. 目前，全球都掀起了保护传统知识的热潮。

6 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

7 sect   

n.派别，宗教，学派，派系

参考例句：

• When he was sixteen he joined a religious sect.他16岁的时候加入了一个宗教教派。
• Each religious sect in the town had its own church.该城每一个宗教教派都有自己的教堂。

8 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。

9 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

10 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。

11 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

12 meddling   

v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
• They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

13 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

14 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

15 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。