2007年VOA标准英语-Voting Ends in Nigeria's Presidential Election

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
21 April 2007

Voting has officially ended across Nigeria in a presidential vote dogged by violence, charges of fraud and logistical problems. Gilbert da Costa reports for VOA from Abuja that election officials say results are expected in a few hours.

 

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Electoral officials count ballots at a polling station in Lagos, Nigeria

Electoral Commission Chairman Maurice Iwu spoke³ to reporters shortly after the polls officially closed.

He said the exercise had been reasonably successful. "So far, I will say, so good. We had a late start in the southeast, because their plane came in late. We anticipated such things could happen. The critical message is that our people are interested in casting their vote, the commission is determined⁴ to make sure that their votes count," he said.

But voting is continuing beyond the official closing time. The Independent National Electoral Commission, known as INEC, has authorized⁵ flexible voting hours due to delays in distributing 65 million ballots across the vast country of 150 million.

 

Turnout was generally satisfactory across the country, although a few voting centers were virtually empty.

 

At Mpape, a sprawling⁶ settlement outside Abuja, only about 60 voters, out of 500 who were registered, turned up. An electoral officer who gave his name as Kingsley explained. "Those who registered here are mostly civil servants. The reason for their registration⁷ was that, maybe, the government might require them to present it before they are paid their salary. But, they said they will not vote. We've registered about 60 people," he said.

 

As with state elections last weekend, a number of candidates for the federal parliament were shocked to find their names missing from the ballot².

Progressive Action Congress Chairman Agade Nwodo was upset that his party's senate candidate from Abuja did not appear on the ballot. "We discovered that on the ballot paper, the Progressive Action Congress, one of the political parties contesting elections in the FCT [Federal Capital Territory], is omitted. It is a big shock to us. He underwent all the processes for screening and documentation and was listed. He has been campaigning seriously and spending money and mobilizing people. At the end, he is frustrated⁸ on this particular day," he said.

 

The government says it is investigating an attack on the electoral commission's headquarters on Saturday, shortly before voting began.

 

Seven police officers on election duty were killed in an ambush⁹ outside Abuja late Friday night.

 

The opposition¹⁰ Action Congress says Saturday's elections were rigged. The other opposition parties have yet to comment.

The election is expected to produce the first handover from one civilian¹¹ president to another since Nigeria's independence from Britain in 1960.

1 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》

2 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

3 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。

4 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

5 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

6 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

7 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

8 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 ambush   

n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击

参考例句：

• Our soldiers lay in ambush in the jungle for the enemy.我方战士埋伏在丛林中等待敌人。
• Four men led by a sergeant lay in ambush at the crossroads.由一名中士率领的四名士兵埋伏在十字路口。

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 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。