VOA常速英语2008年-Indonesia Tackling Corruption, Conflict in 2009

By Chad Bouchard
Jakarta
27 February 2008

International agencies are helping¹ Indonesia prepare for a massive country-wide election in 2009 that will include local offices in hundreds of districts. As Chad Bouchard reports from Jakarta, election officials hope to avoid past mistakes.

Indonesia is getting an early start as the country prepares for presidential and local elections next year.

It will be the second democratic presidential election since President Suharto stepped down in 1998.

The UN Development Program's country director in Indonesia, Haakan Bjorkman, says the international community wants Indonesia's elections to be clean and fair.

"Indonesia has emerged as the strongest and most healthy democracy in Southeast Asia, so we predict in 2009 that all eyes will be on Indonesia to see if the election assistance can work in a good way. And that this success story can continue," said Bjorkman. "The stakes are very high for this region."

Indonesia's parliament is considering a bill that would set up a system to certify² political parties and schedule elections for April 5 next year. Election officials fear delays in passing the bill could postpone³ the elections.

The bill would cap campaign donations at $100,000 per person and $500,000 for companies.

Political analyst⁴ Wimar Witoelar says getting polling stations ready and distributing ballots⁵ are the least of Indonesia's election concerns.

"But how to get the influence of money out of the system, especially now that Suharto's money has been temporarily left unscathed and running around and that bodes⁶ very ill for the attempts we have," said Wimar. "So ours is a very big political problem, not a mechanical problem of elections."

Kevin Evans is an experienced election observer working on reconstruction⁷ in Indonesia's Aceh province. He says some voters wrongly accused Indonesia's election commission of graft⁸ in 2004 and

attacked election staff. He says this time around officials are making it clear that the election commission oversees⁹ the election process, but does not carry out the polling.

Evans says confusion over the balance of power between the commission and the local government led to chaos¹⁰ during the last general election.

"And I think when you have an imbalance between those rights and responsibilities and authorities, then you are opening up an integrity trap," he said. "And so I think that one of the important findings of those earlier elections has been addressed."

Earlier this month, Transparency International, Corruption¹¹ Watch, and other groups announced plans to issue a blacklist of politicians suspected of corruption to raise awareness¹² among voters.

On Wednesday, the Indonesian Election Commission and the UN Development Program signed an agreement to formalize foreign help for the 2009 elections.

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 certify   

vt.证明，证实；发证书(或执照)给

参考例句：

• I can certify to his good character.我可以证明他品德好。
• This swimming certificate is to certify that I can swim one hundred meters.这张游泳证是用以证明我可以游100米远。

3 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

4 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。

5 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》

6 bodes   

v.预示，预告，预言( bode的第三人称单数 )；等待，停留( bide的过去分词 )；居住；（过去式用bided）等待

参考例句：

• This bodes ill for the failure of the programme. 这是那项计划有凶兆。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• This bodes him no good. 这对他是不祥之兆。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

8 graft   

n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接

参考例句：

• I am having a skin graft on my arm soon.我马上就要接受手臂的皮肤移植手术。
• The minister became rich through graft.这位部长透过贪污受贿致富。

9 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

10 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

11 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

12 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。