VOA常速英语2008年-Kenya's Proposed Government Faces Challenges in

By Derek Kilner
Nairobi
13 March 2008

High on the list of tasks for Kenya's proposed power-sharing government will be an overhaul¹ of the country's constitution, viewed by many as an outdated² document that has contributed to political instability. Several failed attempts at reform demonstrate the difficulty of the task, but there is hope that the country's traumatic post-election experience can provide the necessary political will this time around. Derek Kilner reports from Nairobi.

At the center of the criticism of Kenya's current constitution is what has been dubbed³ the "imperial presidency⁴." The president serves as commander-in-chief of the military, and can dissolve parliament, appoint judges, cabinet ministers, electoral commissioners⁵, and other officials with little oversight⁶. The president also has considerable leeway in directing government resources to politically sympathetic parts of the country.

Many Kenyans have long seen the constitution, which was adopted at the time of independence in 1963, as a relic⁷ of the colonial period.  And there has been considerable consensus⁸ on the need for reform, particularly since the introduction of multiparty politics in 1991.

But the political elite⁹ has repeatedly resisted efforts for significant change.

The most recent push came following elections in 2002, when President Mwai Kibaki, with the support of current opposition¹⁰ leader Raila Odinga, won the presidency on a platform that included constitutional reform. A broad review effort, consulting civil society and religious groups, produced a draft constitution calling for a much-strengthened parliament, political decentralization, and changes in the rules for land ownership.

But the version that Kibaki's government finally introduced in a 2005 referendum was significantly watered down. Odinga broke with the government, leading a successful campaign against the referendum. 

The political protests and ethnic¹¹ violence that rocked the country following December's disputed election have highlighted again the dangers of a system where groups feel that the only way to enjoy a political voice or a decent share of government resources is to control the presidency.

Many political leaders and observers say that the political crisis has afforded an opportunity to seriously tackle the issue of constitutional reform.

Attorney General Amos Wako, who played a key role in introducing the weakened reform proposal in 2005, is among those expressing the sentiment.

"This is the defining moment," Wako said. "This is the moment when we can have a new constitution. Because of all that has happened now, this is the moment to address the issue."

University of Nairobi political scientist Peter Wanyande says that since President Kibaki is barred from seeking a third term in office, he may be more willing to accept a diminished role for the presidency.

"We would have a big problem if the president was hoping to contest the elections again in 2012 and therefore would want to have similar powers," Wanyande said. "But now that he is not going to contest, I think he will tend to support constitutional review including those that actually take away some of his powers."

Wanyande concedes that reform will still face obstacles from the political elite that benefits from the current system, but is optimistic that popular sentiment, as well as attention from the international community, will be able to overcome that resistance.

"Obviously there will be groups of people who will try to frustrate¹³ on the basis that it will affect adversely¹⁴ their interests," Wanyande said. "But the people are saying now that the pressure is just too much for a new constitution."

Analysts¹⁵ have credited strong pressure from the U.S. and the U.K. for convincing Kenya's government to accept a power-sharing deal with the opposition. But while the international community has stressed the need for addressing underlying¹⁶ problems including constitutional reform, it is unlikely to maintain the same sort of pressure on such long-term issues.

William Mutunga, of the Ford¹² Foundation's Nairobi office, notes that the international community, while recognizing the need for reform, may also have some stake in preserving a strong president who can approve security or economic agreements.

"The U.S. military bases for example, and facilities," Mutunga said. "I think if that issue was taken to parliament, it will create a lot of divisions and disputes. What happens now is that it is the president who decides. We have also had examples of economic deals. The president can approve certain economic projects without consulting parliament."

Mutunga agrees that the pressure for reform - which he notes for the first time has vocal¹⁷ support from Kenya's powerful business community, in addition to the usual civil society organizations - will likely force a comprehensive review. But he says the government could still find ways to obstruct¹⁸ the process.

"They are going to basically say this thing won't go away so let's have a draft that people can look at but let's get them at the level of implementation," Mutunga said. "So that you can take chapters on human rights, and say ok, these ones can be implemented¹⁹, on the issue of land, no we are not ready, on the issue of local governance, no we are not ready."

With the impact of January's unrest still visible in burned buildings and displacement²⁰ camps and with Kenya still clinging to the international spotlight²¹, politicians from all camps are preaching support for serious reform. But significant challenges lie ahead as the process drags on, and those politicians, many of whom have blocked reform efforts in the past, turn to the controversial details of land reform, decentralization, and presidential power.

1 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

2 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

3 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 commissioners   

n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官

参考例句：

• The Commissioners of Inland Revenue control British national taxes. 国家税收委员管理英国全国的税收。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The SEC has five commissioners who are appointed by the president. 证券交易委员会有５名委员，是由总统任命的。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

6 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

7 relic   

n.神圣的遗物，遗迹，纪念物

参考例句：

• This stone axe is a relic of ancient times.这石斧是古代的遗物。
• He found himself thinking of the man as a relic from the past.他把这个男人看成是过去时代的人物。

8 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

9 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

10 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。

11 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

12 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

13 frustrate   

v.使失望；使沮丧；使厌烦

参考例句：

• But this didn't frustrate Einstein.He was content to go as far as he could.但这并没有使爱因斯坦灰心，他对能够更深入地研究而感到满意。
• They made their preparations to frustrate the conspiracy.他们作好准备挫败这个阴谋。

14 adversely   

ad.有害地

参考例句：

• We commented adversely upon the imbecility of that message of telegraphic style. 我们对着这条电报式的愚蠢的留言发泄了一通不满。
• Widely fluctuating exchange rates may adversely affect international trade. 浮动幅度很大的汇率可能会对国际贸易产生有害的影响。

15 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。

16 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

17 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

18 obstruct   

v.阻隔，阻塞(道路、通道等)；n.阻碍物，障碍物

参考例句：

• He became still more dissatisfied with it and secretly did everything in his power to obstruct it.他对此更不满意，尽在暗里使绊子。
• The fallen trees obstruct the road.倒下的树将路堵住了。

19 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

20 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

21 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。