2007年VOA标准英语-Burkina Legislative Election Has Low Turnout

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
06 May 2007

Burkina Faso's President Blaise Compaore

In Burkina Faso, voter turnout is described as low for legislative¹ polls that the ruling party of Blaise Compaore is expected to dominate. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from our West Africa bureau in Dakar.

One of the early voters in the capital Ouagadougou was President Compaore.

He congratulated the nearly 4,000 candidates from 47 political parties vying² for 111 seats, saying they had demonstrated fair-play during the campaign.

He said it is normal to have so many parties in an emerging democracy, but alliances are already being made.

Many of the parties are actually tied to the ruling Congress for Democracy and Progress, which is expected to boost its current 57 seat total.

But there was little campaigning and voters were slow to pick up voting cards. Sunday, there was a low number of voters in many parts of the country.

Burkina Faso has high illiteracy³ and ranks near the bottom of the U.N. human-development index.

One voter said there is growing alienation⁴ between many Burkinabe and the political process.

"I think many Burkinabe people do not know what are the challenges of this election. Because they elect deputies, but they do not know exactly what they do," he said. "They see some people who are elected with big cars, strong cars, they are very rich, and they do not know what they do for people."

A representative for one of the main opposition⁵ parties, the National Union for Democracy and Development, said he had set up an anti-fraud monitoring group, and was updating journalists every hour.

He said, so far, there are several allegations of voters being caught with multiple voting cards.

During the campaign, the opposition accused the ruling party of using state funds to shower would be voters with caps, tee-shirts, bicycles, and money.

The opposition has attacked the government for rising impunity⁶, dissension within security forces, misguided development strategies, inadequate⁷ health care, and rising poverty due to low cotton prices on international markets.

The government says it needs better representation in parliament to push forward efforts to reduce food insecurity and improve education.

Mr. Compaore has been in power since a coup⁸ in 1987, and easily won the last presidential election in 2005.

1 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

2 vying   

adj.竞争的；比赛的

参考例句：

• California is vying with other states to capture a piece of the growing communications market.为了在日渐扩大的通讯市场分得一杯羹，加利福尼亚正在和其他州展开竞争。
• Four rescue plans are vying to save the zoo.4个拯救动物园的方案正争得不可开交。

3 illiteracy   

n.文盲

参考例句：

• It is encouraging to read that illiteracy is declining.从读报中了解文盲情况正在好转，这是令人鼓舞的。
• We must do away with illiteracy.我们必须扫除文盲。

4 alienation   

n.疏远；离间；异化

参考例句：

• The new policy resulted in the alienation of many voters.新政策导致许多选民疏远了。
• As almost every conceivable contact between human beings gets automated,the alienation index goes up.随着人与人之间几乎一切能想到的接触方式的自动化，感情疏远指数在不断上升。

5 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。

6 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

7 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

8 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。