VOA常速英语2007年-Gabon's Omar Bongo Enters 41st Year in Power

By Jade¹ Heilmann
Dakar
03 December 2007

Africa's longest ruling leader, Gabon President Omar Bongo, is entering his 41st year in power. His critics say he has done little to improve the Central African country's economy, despite oil riches. Jade Heilmann has more from our West, Central Africa bureau in Dakar.

Omar Bongo, then known as Albert Bernard Bongo, was sworn in as president of Gabon on December 2, 1967, several days after his predecessor² Leon Mba died. He changed his name in the 1970s after he converted to Islam.

To celebrate his 40 years in power, the 71-year-old Mr. Bongo attended a military parade, complete with a Mirage³ F-1 air show in his honor.

Posters put up around the capital boasted his presidency⁴ as being characterized by the four pillars of peace, unity⁵, stability and progress; but some critics feel terms such as corruption⁶ and rigged elections were missing from the list.

One such critic is Marc Ona, president of the Gabonese environmental non-profit organization Brain Forest. Ona believes Bongo's ability to keep the peace has been his only merit.

He says the Gabon economy is a catastrophe⁷, that the road and education systems are deteriorating⁸, and that, for having managed a country with a small population for 40 years, the outlook is anything but positive. Oil and resource-rich Gabon has a population of less than 1.5 million.

Africa analyst⁹ Kissy Agyeman of the London-based research group Global Insight explains President Bongo has often used oil profits for political purposes.

"[President] Bongo has managed to maintain the peace in the country particularly because he has kept those who would be opponents and brought them into the presidential fold, he is known to sweet talk opponents with offers of money and so forth¹⁰, and because of the immense wealth that Gabon has, he has been able to deliver. On the ground in Gabon, I do believe people are keen for change, but at the same time it has not got that level of activism that perhaps some other countries in the region may have because the population is quite small," Agyeman said.

Gabon's oil output has been on the decline since the mid-1990s, and some economists¹¹ estimate there will be no more oil to exploit in 30 years time. Many Gabonese say their president has not built enough infrastructure¹² during the oil boom.

Although President Bongo built a railroad cross-country which has eased access to other natural resources, and designated 13 national parks which has aided tourism, many say too much money was spent creating government positions, or strengthening political ties with the former colonial power France.

Mr. Bongo acknowledged these issues in a televised speech Saturday night, but deferred¹³ blame to his administration, rather than to himself. He said the country's infrastructure was degraded, but said that was because of corruption, nepotism¹⁴ and what he called outrageous¹⁵ politicizing at the highest levels of government.

Outright¹⁶ opposition¹⁷ to Mr. Bongo has been mostly muted during his time in power.

Allegations of a rigged election triggered brief but violent demonstrations¹⁸ in 1993. Allegations of cheating tainted¹⁹ other election victories by Mr. Bongo and the ruling party, but without the same level of outcry.

When asked to comment about possible successors to the president, analyst Agyeman thought Bongo's son, the minister of defense²⁰, has a good chance.

"There is a lot of talk about [Mr.] Bongo's son, Ali, who he is grooming²¹, probably to succeed him," she said. "He looks like he is probably going to be the man to succeed [President] Bongo as things stand in the moment.

But that may not happen anytime soon. Mr. Bongo has already stated he will be running again in the scheduled 2012 presidential election. An amendment²² made to the constitution in 2003 allows him to run for the presidency indefinitely.

1 jade   

n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠

参考例句：

• The statue was carved out of jade.这座塑像是玉雕的。
• He presented us with a couple of jade lions.他送给我们一对玉狮子。

2 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

3 mirage   

n.海市蜃楼，幻景

参考例句：

• Perhaps we are all just chasing a mirage.也许我们都只是在追逐一个幻想。
• Western liberalism was always a mirage.西方自由主义永远是一座海市蜃楼。

4 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

5 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。

6 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

7 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

8 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

9 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

10 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

11 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

13 deferred   

adj.延期的，缓召的v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的过去式和过去分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• The department deferred the decision for six months. 这个部门推迟了六个月才作决定。
• a tax-deferred savings plan 延税储蓄计划

14 nepotism   

n.任人唯亲；裙带关系

参考例句：

• The congressman lashed the president for his nepotism.国会议员抨击总统搞裙带关系。
• Many will regard his appointment as the kind of nepotism British banking ought to avoid.很多人会把他的任命看作是英国银行业应该避免的一种裙带关系。

15 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

16 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。

17 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。

18 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

19 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

21 grooming   

n. 修饰, 美容，（动物）梳理毛发

参考例句：

• You should always pay attention to personal grooming. 你应随时注意个人仪容。
• We watched two apes grooming each other. 我们看两只猩猩在互相理毛。

22 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。