2007年VOA标准英语-Sierra Leone Vote Count Remains Close

By Kari Barber
Dakar
16 August 2007

As vote tallies¹ continue to roll in for Sierra Leone's presidential and parliamentary elections, it appears more likely there will be a presidential runoff. The opposition² All People's Congress is claiming victory in the parliamentary vote, even though the National Electoral Commission has released results for only a few of the 112 contested seats. Kari Barber has more from VOA's West Africa bureau in Dakar.

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People look at results of Sierra Leone's presidential and legislative elections in Freetown, 13 August 2007

Officials of the All People's Congress, the party of opposition leader and presidential candidate Ernest Koroma, said Wednesday they had won a majority of the seats in parliament according to their own tally⁴. Party officials say they will dispute the National Electoral Commission's results if they do not agree with the party's.

Final results for the presidential race are expected in the coming days. Election officials say a second round is looking likely as early results show a close race between Vice⁵ President Solomon Berewa of the ruling Sierra Leone People's Party and the APC's Koroma, with People's Movement for Democratic Change's Charles Margai in third. A candidate must win 55 percent to avoid a runoff.

President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah is prevented by term limits from seeking a third term.

All the parties have been waging a media battle, using party-run newspapers and radio to stir up support.

Carolyn Norris of the International Crisis Group says she considers all the talk, as long as it does not directly incite⁶ violence, as a part of the democratic process.

"So far it has been a battle of words between the various parties, and that seems to me a very a positive healthy aspect," she said.

The ruling SLPP has accused the opposition APC of using its radio broadcasts to send out out post-election hate messages, and is now testing its own radio station.

Norris said all parties will have to play an active role to ensure their supporters remain calm if a runoff is required.

"That will then be the point when there really is everything to win or to lose," she explained. "So the vigilance that we have seen in the first round of elections will have to be repeated, and I think it will be the responsibility of the major parties to call to check any of its members that consider other means to demonstrate their support for the party."

ballots7 with the help of battery-powered lights at a polling station in Freetown, 11 Aug 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070818/0939311.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Poll workers count presidential ballots with the help of battery-powered lights at a polling station in Freetown, 11 Aug 2007

Ransford Wright of the Independent Radio Network has been tabulating⁸ non-official results from journalists around the country. Wright says the excitement surrounding the elections means the winner will be facing high expectations when he takes office.

"There are some changes in the democratic trend in the nation," he said, "and it is very important for anybody who emerges as the winner, as the president, to take note of that and ensure they deliver as they lead."

Final results for the presidential race are expected within 12 days after the vote, which was held Saturday. A runoff would likely be in September.

The elections were the first since thousands of U.N. peacekeepers who were stationed in Sierra Leone following the end of the nation's 11-year civil war departed in 2005.

1 tallies   

n.账( tally的名词复数 )；符合；（计数的）签；标签v.计算，清点( tally的第三人称单数 )；加标签（或标记）于；（使）符合；（使）吻合

参考例句：

• Cash on hand tallies with the figure in the accounts. 现款跟账上的数目没有出入。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He tallies his own marks. 他把自己的得分记了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

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 tally   

n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致

参考例句：

• Don't forget to keep a careful tally of what you spend.别忘了仔细记下你的开支账目。
• The facts mentioned in the report tally to every detail.报告中所提到的事实都丝毫不差。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 incite   

v.引起，激动，煽动

参考例句：

• I wanted to point out he was a very good speaker, and could incite a crowd.我想说明他曾是一个非常出色的演讲家，非常会调动群众的情绪。
• Just a few words will incite him into action.他只需几句话一将，就会干。

7 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》

8 tabulating   

把（数字、事实）列成表( tabulate的现在分词 )； 制表

参考例句：

• The Census Office did not finish tabulating the results until 1888. 直到1888年，人口普查办公室才完成统计数字表格。
• By 1890 a revolutionary electrical tabulating system was available. 到了1890年，一种具有革命意义的电动制表装置投入使用。