2007年VOA标准英语-Presidential Vote Count Begins in Sierra Leone

By Phillip Wellman
Dakar
10 September 2007

Police keep crowds back from the polling stations after the vote is over

Votes are being tallied¹ from Sierra Leone's runoff election Saturday to determine the country's next president. Both the opposition² and the ruling party are claiming the lead in the country's first presidential election since U.N. peacekeepers left two years ago. Phillip Wellman reports for VOA's West Africa bureau in Dakar.

Final results are expected to be announced in a few days, but early unofficial counts by Sierra Leone's Independent Radio Network say opposition candidate Ernest Koroma of the All People's Congress is taking an early lead.

But Sierra Leone People's Party candidate Solomon Berewa is also claiming to be in the lead, according to his tallies³.

People who gathered, against warnings by officials, say the just want to make sure the vote count is fair

The National Electoral Commission is providing results, as they come in, to the candidates so they can do their own tallies. It is part of the commission's efforts to make the parties feel confident in the transparency and fairness of the count.

Despite party claims of intimidation⁴ and harassment⁵ on the day of voting, international monitors say the process was fair, credible⁶ and a step forward for a war-ravaged country.

President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah says he will step down after serving the maximum two terms allowed.

The Africa director for the National Democratic Institute, a U.S. monitor, Chris Fomunyoh, says the change of power will be good.

"That transition is usually a healthy process in every democratic society because then it is a renewal⁷ of leadership and it provides an opportunity for those who get the mandate⁸ of the people to deliver on campaign promises," Fomunyoh.

Many voters in one of the world's poorest nations said they were voting for change. Fomunyoh says the new president should bear this in mind as soon as he is sworn-in.

Poll workers count votes after the close of the polling stations

"My sense it that the new leaders that will emerge from this election will need to move very quickly to address some of the other issues Sierra Leoneans face that could improve their well-being," he said.

The nation is ranked as one of the most corrupt⁹ in the world and basic services such as electricity are nonexistent in most areas.

The runoff follows a first-round last month when seven candidates ran and Koroma received 44-percent of the vote and Berewa had 38-percent, forcing a runoff.

Second-round campaigning saw a series of street clashes, with police and President Kabbah urging the two competing candidates to rein¹⁰ in their supporters.

1 tallied   

v.计算，清点( tally的过去式和过去分词 )；加标签（或标记）于；（使）符合；（使）吻合

参考例句：

• The girl tallied them with her eyes for a moment. 新娘用目光把这些化妆品清点了一下。 来自教父部分
• His account of the accident tallied with hers. 他对事故的陈述和她的相吻合。 来自辞典例句

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 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》

4 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

5 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

6 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

7 renewal   

adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来

参考例句：

• Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
• Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。

8 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

9 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

10 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。