2007年VOA标准英语-Senegal's Presidential Coalition Wins Boycotted

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
07 June 2007

Senegal's electoral commission confirmed the presidential coalition¹'s apparently² easy victory in last Sunday's legislative³ election, which was boycotted⁵ by major opposition⁶ parties. The coalition dominates the legislature with 131 out of 150 seats. Phuong Tran reports for VOA from Dakar that analysts⁸ say the lack of any real legislative opposition will hurt Senegalese democracy.

According to the ministry⁹ of interior, 35 percent of eligible¹⁰ voters cast ballots¹¹, compared to 67 percent in the previous legislative election.

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Abdoulaye Wade (file photo)

A leader of the opposition coalition that called the boycott⁴, Moustapha Fall, says President Abdoulaye Wade can no longer ignore the opposition.

About a dozen of the biggest opposition parties called the boycott to protest President Wade's victory earlier this year. Fall and other members of the opposition claimed Mr. Wade won through widespread fraud, even though international and national observers said his election was largely free and fair.

Fall says the low turnout shows President Wade is politically weak, and that the president will be forced to meet with the opposition. A group of civil society associations that attempted, unsuccessfully, to bring the president and opposition parties together to prevent the boycott said the new legislators lack legitimacy¹³.

Apparent election winner and member of the presidential ruling coalition, Abdou Fall, says previous legislative elections also had low turnouts, even without a boycott.

The ministry of interior reports less than 40 percent voting in both the 1993 and 1998 legislative elections.

But Senegalese political analyst⁷ Yoro Dia attributes past voter apathy¹⁴ people's belief that the elections were unfair. Once President Wade was elected in 2000, the analyst says things changed for a while because Senegalese felt they finally had a political voice. But Dia says the opposition's decline is a setback¹⁵ for Senegal.

"In the parliament, meaning the heart of debate in democracy, you will not have the opposition," said Dia. "And no one can rule a country ignoring the opposition that represents 45 percent of the population."

Before this legislative election, the ruling coalition controlled three-quarters of the legislature.

Once the judicial¹⁶ system confirms the commission's electoral results, Dia says the coalition will control the newly enlarged parliament, with less than 20 seats held by several small parties outside the ruling group.

Dia says with the opposition's role in parliament diminished it may take to the streets to be heard and that may cause problems.

"The opposition will show [it] does not agree with what [President] Wade is doing. The parliament was a good place to say it. If they do not say it in the parliament, they will say it in the streets," he said. "If they say it in the streets, it will mean riots and demonstrations¹⁷."

Dia says during his time as opposition candidate, President Wade denounced what he saw as unfair elections, also taking his case to the street to lobby public support.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

3 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。

4 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

5 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。

6 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。

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 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。

10 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。

11 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》

12 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

13 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

14 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。

15 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

16 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

17 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。