2007年VOA标准英语-Turkish Lawmakers Vote on Major Constitutional

By Amberin Zaman
Istanbul
10 May 2007

The Turkish parliament has backed Thursday a proposed amendment¹ to the constitution to enable the people to elect a new president directly.  The measure is a key provision in a package of electoral reforms the chamber² is debating before July 22 elections. From Istanbul, Amberin Zaman has details for VOA

Turkish ministers, from left, Osman Pepe, Mehdi Eker, Kemal Unakitan and Vecdi Gonul are seen voting in parliament in Ankara, 10 May 2007

During a roll call in the Turkish parliament, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was among those casting ballots³.

A total of 376 lawmakers in the 550 member chamber voted in favor of a proposal to have the new president of Turkey elected by the people, rather than by the parliament.

The move proposed by Mr. Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party, better known by its Turkish initials AK, is intended to break a deadlock⁴ over the election of a new president to replace Ahmet Necdet Sezer. 

Mr. Sezer was scheduled to step down on May 16.  He  is now expected to stay on as a caretaker until a new parliament is elected after the July 22 polls. 

The Justice and Development Party is pushing to hold presidential elections concurrently⁵ with the parliamentary polls, after failing in an earlier effort to get Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul elected president.

Gul's bid was derailed by the pro-secular⁶ opposition⁷ parties who boycotted⁸ the vote.  They did so on the grounds that Gul, who formerly⁹ belonged to an overtly¹⁰ Islamist party, poses a threat to the secular tenets of the republic.  Gul denies the charges.

He told VOA in an interview earlier this week that he was determined¹¹ to run for president again.

"Well definitely I am one of the leading people in this direction so definitely," he said.

The parliament also voted in favor of a measure that will make it harder for the country's largest pro-Kurdish group to field independent candidates.  The group, known as the Democratic Society Party, says it plans to field independents because under the current electoral rules a political party needs to win at least 10 percent of the national vote in order to be represented in the parliament.

But independents do not need 10 percent to win a seat.  The Kurdish group has never garnered¹² more than five percent of the national vote, and its leaders hope that by running as independents they will get a seat.

The entire constitutional package needs to be approved first by the parliament and then by President Sezer, who could block it by appealing to the Constitutional Court. 

1 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。

2 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

3 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》

4 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

5 concurrently   

adv.同时地

参考例句：

• He was given two twelve month sentences to run concurrently. 他两罪均判12个月监禁，同期执行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was given two prison sentences, to run concurrently. 他两罪均判监禁，同期执行。 来自辞典例句

6 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

7 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。

8 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

9 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

10 overtly   

ad.公开地

参考例句：

• There were some overtly erotic scenes in the film. 影片中有一些公开色情场面。
• Nietzsche rejected God's law and wrote some overtly blasphemous things. 尼采拒绝上帝的律法，并且写了一些渎神的作品。

11 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。

12 garnered   

v.收集并（通常）贮藏（某物），取得，获得( garner的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith gradually garnered a national reputation as a financial expert. 史密斯先生逐渐赢得全国金融专家的声誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals. 他的提议得到了广泛的支持。 来自辞典例句