2007年VOA标准英语-Armenian Voters Prepare to Elect New Parliament

By Lisa McAdams
Moscow
11 May 2007

Armenians go to the polls this Saturday in a parliamentary election seen as a key test for democracy ahead of next year's presidential vote.  VOA's Lisa McAdams in Moscow reports two pro-government parties are running strong against a field of nearly 20 opposition¹ parties.  

Supporters of the Country of Law Party attend a campaign rally 06 May 2007 in Yerevan, Armenia ahead of the 12 May 2007 parliamentary elections

Armenia has not had an election deemed free and fair by international observers since gaining independence from the former Soviet² Union in 1991. This Saturday's vote will be closely watched.

With elections for a new president just one year away, the international community has made it clear that is wants to see an improvement over Armenia's last parliamentary elections, in 2003, when there were widespread allegations of voter fraud.

The United States says millions of dollars in aid to Armenia could be threatened if the election is deemed unfair.  The European Union, Armenia's primary trading partner, also says a fair election is necessary for Armenia to continue participating in its European Neighborhood Policy program.

Yevgeni Volk, the Director of the Heritage Foundation's Moscow office, says Armenia's authorities know they must produce a better parliamentary election than in 2003.  But either way, he says, the country is destined³ for change.

"Whoever wins in the election, even those forces mostly associated with Russia, I believe that they will have to review their policies toward more openness toward the European Union and NATO, just because Russia can not offer Armenia reliable, economic and political prospects⁴ for the future," he noted⁵.

Volk notes that more than 30 percent of Armenia's 3 million people live on less than $2 a day.  Discontent is high, he says, but so too is voter apathy⁶.

Despite growing discontent, few of Armenia's opposition parties are expected to secure the five percent threshold needed to join parliament.  Volk and other analysts⁸ say that is because the political opposition made a tactical error in failing to unite under a single anti-government banner.

Opposition leaders are already warning of possible fraud in Saturday's election and say they will organize mass street protests, if they consider the vote unfair.

Analyst⁷ Volk says much will depend on the election results.

"If the margin⁹ between the winners and losers will be narrow, I believe it will really cause some kinds of protests and violence, which will be difficult to deal with," he added.  "If the gap will be larger, I believe the opposition will feel weaker."

There have already been several incidents of election-related violence leading up to Saturday's vote and, in the final week of campaigning, authorities in Armenia announced the arrest of opposition activist¹⁰ Alexander Arzumanian on money-laundering charges.

The arrest significantly raised opposition fears that the upcoming parliamentary vote will be neither free, nor fair.  Pro-government parties deny there will be falsification and say voters will back the government's record.

Two pro-government parties, the ruling Republican Party of Armenia, led by presidential favorite Serge Sarkisian, and the Prosperous Armenia party of Gagik Tsarukian, are expected to sweep the election.

The outcome of Saturday's election is likely to dictate¹¹ the course of the country's presidential vote in 2008.  Sarkisian, the acting¹² prime minister and President Robert Kocharyan's friend and favored successor, is expected by analysts to easily defeat the opposition when voters in go to the polls next year.

1 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。

2 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

3 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

4 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 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。

7 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

8 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。

9 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

10 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

11 dictate   

v.口授；(使)听写；指令，指示，命令

参考例句：

• It took him a long time to dictate this letter.口述这封信花了他很长时间。
• What right have you to dictate to others?你有什么资格向别人发号施令？

12 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。