voa标准英语2008-Early Returns Show Tight Race in Ghana President

In Ghana, election officials are counting the votes from Sunday's elections and unofficial returns show that with more than one-third of the constituencies tabulated¹, two leading candidates are in a tight race for the presidency².
　

Election observers from the Spanish Parliament leave Accra's International Press Center as Ghana waits for election results, 08 December 2008

Voters in Ghana were closely following vote tabulation³ in the country's 230 constituencies Monday as election officials predicted official results would take a few days to be completed.

Officials report high voter turnout

Voter turnout was high Sunday as Ghanaians chose a new president and parliament.

An official with a team of international observers from the Carter Center, David Carroll, said the polling was largely calm.

"This has been quite an orderly and peaceful process and, importantly, a high turnout. But most importantly it is a very competitive process and a very tight race," he said.

Observers from the European Union, the Commonwealth⁴ and the West African Economic Community, ECOWAS, echoed this assessment⁵.

President John Kufuor is retiring after eight years in office. The candidate of his New Patriotic⁶ Party, Nana Akufo-Addo, was running neck-and-neck with opposition⁷ candidate John Atta-Mills of the National Democratic Congress of former President Jerry Rawlings.

Analysts⁸ say election shows citizens maturing in political game

The public affairs head of Ghana's Electoral Commission, Christian⁹ Owusu-Pare, noted¹⁰ there had been some campaign incidents, but indicated these had not prevented a free and fair vote.

"Although there have been pockets of violence here and there in the past, we have not experienced the kind of violence that we have witnessed in other African countries. But there seems to be an improvement in the situation now and it is an indication that Ghanaians are gradually maturing in this political game," Owusu-Pare said.

He acknowledged there had been complaints from opposition parties about an unexpectedly high number of newly registered voters. But he said the Commission had removed many names that had been registered more than once.

Carter center notes some irregularities

Carroll said Carter Center observers had seen only a few isolated¹¹ irregularities during the polling and expressed hope that the results would be accepted by all.

"Ghana is showing again that there is an unusually high level of political maturity¹² in this country and I think we can count on Ghanaians and the major parties to have the patience to let the process run its course," said Carroll.

Official results are expected in a few days. If no presidential candidate wins at least 50 percent of the vote a runoff election is to be held in three weeks.

1 tabulated   

把（数字、事实）列成表( tabulate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Results for the test program haven't been tabulated. 试验的结果还没有制成表格。
• A large number of substances were investigated and the relevant properties tabulated. 已经研究了多种物质，并将有关性质列成了表。

2 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

3 tabulation   

作表，表格； 表列结果； 列表； 造表

参考例句：

• A tabulation of a function of two variables is cumbersome, but possible. 二元函数的列表法是不方便的，然而是可能的。
• Such a tabulation cannot represent adequately the complex gradation relationships between the types. 这样的图表不能充分代表各类型之间的复杂级配关系。

4 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

5 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

6 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

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 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 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

10 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。

11 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

12 maturity   

n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期

参考例句：

• These plants ought to reach maturity after five years.这些植物五年后就该长成了。
• This is the period at which the body attains maturity.这是身体发育成熟的时期。