VOA常速英语2008年-Kenyan Parliament Passes Power-Sharing Amendmen

By Derek Kilner
Nairobi
18 March 2008

Kenya's Parliament has unanimously approved a bill to amend¹ the constitution to allow for a power-sharing agreement between the country's two main parties. As Derek Kilner reports from Nairobi, both sides have expressed strong support for the deal, but the bigger test will be to see how well the parties cooperate in a coalition² government.

The power-sharing agreement signed late last month by President Mwai Kibaki and his challenger in December's disputed elections, Raila Odinga, calls for the creation of the position of prime minister - which would go to Odinga. The Cabinet would be split evenly between the two sides.

Kenya's constitution needs to be amended³ to accommodate such changes. After finalizing⁴ the amendment⁵, the parliament will take up another bill to put in place the power-sharing arrangement.

Both leaders had strongly urged support for the necessary amendment and debate in parliament was marked by conciliation⁶ and optimism. Odinga called for Kenyans to unite behind the agreement.

"Let us not look at each other, Mr. Speaker, as PNU, ODM-K, ODM and so on," he said. "Let us now fuse together now as one people who want to do something for the people of Kenya. Let us strengthen the foundation of multiparty democracy in our country."

President Kibaki made an unusual appearance before parliament, expressing hope that the political and ethnic⁷ violence that killed over 1,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands following the election, can be left behind.

"We were developing apart earlier on. And now we are going together," said President Kibaki. "That we are going together is a joy, for the reason that we shall succeed. Where we were headed a little while ago it was terrible. And I am quite sure myself that we have found an answer."

While politicians have united behind the power-sharing agreement, there remains⁸ some uncertainty⁹ over how the coalition will function in practice. A statement by the head of the country's civil service last week, which seemed to imply a lesser¹⁰ role for the prime minister and less sharing of government jobs than the opposition¹¹ had expected, prompted criticism from Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement.

The coalition government will also oversee¹² a year-long overhaul¹³ of Kenya's constitution, which critics charge now grants the president too many powers.

In parliament, there was widespread support for the need to change the document. But discussion on the details of reforms - including curtailing¹⁴ the president's powers, decentralizing the government, and changing laws of land ownership - is likely to prove far more contentious¹⁵. 

1 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。

4 finalizing   

vt.完成（finalize的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• You may edit registered information any time during the finalizing period. 您可以在规定期限内随时编辑修改注册资料。 来自互联网
• Natsun Trimming & Ironing, Finalizing the Perfection. 40南山整烫，完美在此定格。 来自互联网

5 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

6 conciliation   

n.调解，调停

参考例句：

• By conciliation,cooperation is established.通过调解，友好合作关系得以确立。
• Their attempts at conciliation had failed and both sides were once again in dispute.他们进行调停的努力失败了，双方再次陷入争吵。

7 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。

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

9 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

10 lesser   

adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地

参考例句：

• Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
• She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及，但程度较轻。

11 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。

12 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

13 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。

14 curtailing   

v.截断，缩短( curtail的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They will be curtailing the discussions at two thirty. 他们将把讨论缩短至两点半。 来自互联网
• Individually, banks are acting rationally by retaining their capital and curtailing lending. 此外，银行们正在合理地保留其资本和减少贷款。 来自互联网

15 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。