2007年VOA标准英语-Transfer of Power in Russia: Authoritarian or D

By Peter Fedynsky
Washington, D.C.
29 March 2007
 
watch Russia Election report

Russia holds a presidential election in less than a year.  If the nominating process, campaign and vote are transparent¹ and fair, Russians will witness an unprecedented² democratic transfer of power.  But some political analysts³ are concerned this will not happen, and that instead incumbent⁴ president Vladimir Putin will find a way to remain in office despite a constitutional prohibition⁵ against a third term.  VOA's Peter Fedynsky reports.

 
Vladimir Putin (file photo)
Vladimir Putin came to power as acting⁶ president in 1999, when his predecessor⁷ Boris Yeltsin suddenly resigned.  Mr. Yeltsin expressed confidence at the time that Russia would develop as a democratic nation.  At a recent Moscow news conference, Mr. Putin assured skeptics that the 2008 presidential election would indeed be democratic.

"We shouldn't fuss about future elections, but as I already said they provide an opportunity for objective choice. We should provide free democratic choice,” Mr. Putin said.  “I am also a citizen of the Russian Federation⁸, and I'm proud of that.  I reserve the right to express my preference [for the next president], but this will be done only in the pre-election period."

Political observers say the current favorites are First Deputy Premiers⁹ Sergei Ivanov and Dmitry Medvedev.  Some, however, would like to see the popular Mr. Putin remain in office, despite a constitutional prohibition against a third term. 

"We should have had a president like this a long time ago," said a Moscow pensioner¹⁰ who identified himself as Yuri.  "Maybe [Putin] will run again, and if not then we will have a worthy¹¹ successor who will continue Putin's work."

 
David Satter, Hudson Institute
"It would in no way be surprising for a way to be found for Putin to extend his period in office," said David Satter, a Russian expert at a Washington, D.C., think tank.  Satter, from the Hudson Institute, notes that a constitutional ban did not prevent the Kremlin leader from appointing the country's governors.

"A judicial¹² branch of government in the hands of the presidential administration confirmed what was obviously contradicted by the letter of the constitutional provision for the election of governors,” he said.

The direct appointment of governors is but one aspect of what is called a vertical¹³, or highly centralized, power structure in Russia.  But some analysts speculate that Mr. Putin could be introducing his country's ruling elite¹⁴ to a degree of decentralization.  Lilya Shevtsova, of the Carnegie Moscow Center, spoke¹⁵ at a recent Russia conference at the Hudson Institute.

 
Lilya Shevtsova of the Carnegie Moscow Center
"He is great at the mechanism¹⁶ of 'horizontality' – where all people, all groups, all institutions will balance each other: [the] Duma is being balanced by the Council of Federation; United Russia by Just Russia; Medvedev by Sergei Ivanov; and all people, representatives of power structures, the siloviki, they are balancing each other," she says.

Shevtsova cautions, however, that the balancing act could backfire after the election, leading to a harsher, more authoritarian¹⁷ regime.

Recent Kremlin crackdowns on independent media and political parties, as well as non-governmental organizations, are viewed abroad as moves toward authoritarianism¹⁸. 

Former U.S. National Security advisor¹⁹ Zbigniew Brzezinski says he is troubled by that, and warns that the Russian presidential election is likely to be managed by the state.

"I hate to say this, but I think to some extent that's a step towards the eventual²⁰ institutionalization of democracy.  It will take time,” Brzeninski said.  “But if Putin doesn't run again, that in itself is a step forward.  One has to acknowledge that, even if the process of selecting his successor is not going to be generally democratic."

The Russian presidential election is set for 9 March 2008.  An actual transfer of power is scheduled to take place about two months later.

1 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

2 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

3 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

4 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

5 prohibition   

n.禁止；禁令，禁律

参考例句：

• The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
• They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。

6 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

7 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。

8 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

9 premiers   

n.总理，首相( premier的名词复数 )；首席官员，

参考例句：

• The Vice- Premiers and State Councillors assist the Premier in his work. 副总理、国务委员协助总理工作。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法
• The Premier, Vice-Premiers and State Councillors shall serve no more than two consecutive terms. 总理、副总理、国务委员连续任职不得超过两届。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法

10 pensioner   

n.领养老金的人

参考例句：

• The tax threshold for a single pensioner is$ 445.单身领退休年金者的纳税起点为445英镑。
• It was the pensioner's vote late in the day that influenced the election of Mr.Sweet.最后是领取养老金者的选票影响了斯威特先生的当选。

11 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

12 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。

13 vertical   

adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置

参考例句：

• The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。
• Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。

14 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

15 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

16 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

17 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

18 authoritarianism   

权力主义，独裁主义

参考例句：

• Modern authoritarianism is a vestige of traditional personal rule. 现代独裁主义则是传统的个人统治的残余。
• In its latter days it was a byword for authoritarianism, incompetence, and corruption. 在后期，它是独裁、无能和腐化的代号。

19 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

20 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。