VOA常速英语2008年-Kenya Cabinet Selection Encounters Troubles

By Derek Kilner
Nairobi
27 March 2008

The distribution of ministries¹ in Kenya's proposed power-sharing government is encountering difficulties. As Derek Kilner reports from Nairobi, both sides have blamed the other for the lack of progress.

The selection of cabinet ministers is the next step in a power-sharing agreement signed in late February by President Mwai Kibaki and his main challenger in December's disputed elections, Raila Odinga. Parliament endorsed² the arrangement earlier this month.

But while both sides continue to pledge support for the agreement, they have so far been unable to agree on the assignment of the top jobs in the government. Both President Kibaki and Mr. Odinga want to steer³ their supporters into key positions.

Local media have reported that the most contentious⁴ argument has been over control of the finance ministry⁵, as well as the local government and public service portfolios⁶.

Mr. Kibaki named 17 ministers before the agreement was signed, and Mr. Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement has complained that Kibaki's Party of National Unity⁷ has been reluctant to give up those posts.

ODM Secretary-General Anyang Nyong'o also criticized President Kibaki's party for trying to create unessential ministries to increase the number of jobs that can be doled⁸ out to supporters, warning of a return to mass protests if there is no progress.

"If they begin becoming frivolous⁹ about how many ministries be created and they insist on that of course we would consider other options," said Nyong'o. "Like saying we want to create a ministry for 2030 Vision, that is just not serious at all, or creating a ministry of livestock¹⁰ and fisheries into livestock and fisheries, that is being frivolous."

Civil society and religious groups, along with the country's major newspapers, have also called for reducing the number of ministries from the current 34, saying the resources needed to sustain such bureaucracy could be better spent elsewhere.

Government spokesman Alfred Mutua, meanwhile, said ODM leaders have been avoiding continued discussion over the composition of the cabinet.

Politicians have raised the question of whether former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who mediated¹¹ the talks that led to the power-sharing agreement, should be called back to facilitate discussion on the cabinet. Nyong'o said he was in favor of renewed involvement by Mr. Annan if negotiations¹² fail to move forward, but urged patience in letting discussions continue.

"If you compare that Angela Merkel and Schroeder took about a month to form a similar type of government in Germany, I think a week here is not terribly long," said Nyong'o. "Better for the two principles to take their time and name a lean and clean and well-balance cabinet than rush to it and have to visit those problems later. I think the more careful the discussion are now the better for the working of the coalition¹³ afterwards."

Observers say announcement of the new cabinet is not likely to come before next week at the earliest.

1 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

2 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

4 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。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 portfolios   

n.投资组合( portfolio的名词复数 )；（保险）业务量；（公司或机构提供的）系列产品；纸夹

参考例句：

• Price risk arises in non-trading portfolios, as well as in trading portfolios. 价格风险中出现的非贸易投资，以及在贸易投资组合。 来自互联网
• How do we fatten our portfolios and stay financially healthy? 我们怎样育肥我们的投资结构和维持财政健康呢？ 来自互联网

7 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

8 doled   

救济物( dole的过去式和过去分词 )； 失业救济金

参考例句：

• The food was doled out to the poor. 食品分发给了穷人。
• Sisco briskly doled out the United States positions on the key issues. 西斯科轻快地把美国在重大问题上的立场放了出去。

9 frivolous   

adj.轻薄的；轻率的

参考例句：

• This is a frivolous way of attacking the problem.这是一种轻率敷衍的处理问题的方式。
• He spent a lot of his money on frivolous things.他在一些无聊的事上花了好多钱。

10 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

11 mediated   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

12 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

13 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。