2007年VOA标准英语-Voter Apathy Expected in Mali Election

By Kari Barber
Bamako
28 April 2007

A supporter holds a poster of the President of Mali Amadou Toumani Toure during a campaign meeting in Fana, 150km east of Bamako, 25 Apr 2007

Voters in the West African nation of Mali go to the polls Sunday to elect a president.  The incumbent¹, President Amadou Toumani Toure, one of eight candidates, is widely expected to win a second term.  But as Kari Barber reports from Bamako, Mali's capital, quite a few of the city's residents may choose not to vote.

Supporters of presidential hopeful Sidibe Aminata Diallo chant "Ami," a nickname for the candidate. 

Political fervor² is intense at the rally, but out on the streets, the mood is more reserved.

Security guard Dodje Adanzouhoin says he is not interested in politics.

Adanzouhoin says he pays attention to politics, but does not participate.  In his neighborhood, he says, there are people from all different parties, so he prefers to not take sides.

Oumou Toure, a leader of a women's organization, is trying to get more women to vote.  She says it is not easy.

Toure says in the past women have not understood the importance of their vote and voted how they were told or did not vote at all.  She hopes women realize they are citizens too.

According to the Ministry³ of the Interior, political apathy⁴ is more prevalent in Bamako than in the countryside where about 75 percent of eligible⁵ voters applied⁶ for and collected their voting cards.  In Bamako, about 35 percent signed up and got their cards.

An adviser⁷ to the government, Wilfried Wesch of Germany, attributes Bamako's political malaise to the fact that it is a young democracy and many people are not all that interested in politics. 

"In all the elections we had in the past we had a very, very low participation⁸ first of all because people were not interested," he said.  "And the political parties and the government did not do anything to promote democracy, they did not do anything to educate their people."

In the past, voter turnout for presidential and local elections has typically been around 20 percent.

Wesch says the current administration has made efforts to encourage political participation, and he is optimistic the turnout for this election will be larger.

"I hope and I expect a participation of nearly 50 percent, which is really nearly European and United States standards," he said.

Of the seven opposition⁹ candidates, the head of the National Assembly, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, is considered President Amadou Toumani Toure's most serious rival.  Though Mr. Toure is expected to win a second five-year term, if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, a second round is scheduled for May 13.

1 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。

2 fervor   

n.热诚；热心；炽热

参考例句：

• They were concerned only with their own religious fervor.他们只关心自己的宗教热诚。
• The speech aroused nationalist fervor.这个演讲喚起了民族主义热情。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 apathy   

n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡

参考例句：

• He was sunk in apathy after his failure.他失败后心恢意冷。
• She heard the story with apathy.她听了这个故事无动于衷。

5 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

6 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

7 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

8 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

9 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。