VOA标准英语2009年-Afghan Election Officials Cancel Runoff, D

By Sean Maroney
Islamabad
02 November 2009

Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission says it has canceled the presidential runoff, originally scheduled for this Saturday. The announcement came a day after President Hamid Karzai's challenger, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, withdrew from the race.

 
Afghan President Hamid Karzai gestures to journalists at the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, 02 Nov 2009
 
After enduring months of political uncertainty¹, Taliban violence, and the realization² of massive fraud in the first round of voting, Afghans now know who their president will be.

"We declare that Mr. Hamid Karzai, [who] got the majority of votes in the first round and [who] is the only candidate for the second round of elections of Afghanistan in 2009, we declare [is] the elected president of Afghanistan." said Azizullah Lodin, election commission president. Lodin also said officials decided³ to cancel the runoff in order to save Afghans the expense and security risk of another election.

Sunday, President Karzai's challenger, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah said he could not accept a runoff overseen⁴ by the same people who were in charge of the August 20th poll.

In that round of voting, international officials uncovered massive fraud, mainly in President Karzai's favor. As a result, Mr. Karzai's victory fell below 50 percent, requiring a runoff.

After the IEC decision, the United States and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued statements congratulating President Karzai on his victory.

Ban is in Kabul for separate talks with Mr. Karzai and Abdullah.

Last week, five foreign U.N. staff members were killed in a suicide attack on a Kabul guesthouse. The Taliban claimed responsibility and said it was the first of many attacks to disrupt the runoff.

Ban said the international community remains⁵ committed to Afghanistan.

"We will not be deterred⁶, we cannot be deterred, and we must not be deterred, and the work of the United Nations will continue," he said.

This will be Mr. Karzai's second term as president. Each term lasts five years, and according to the country's constitution, President Karzai is not eligible⁷ to run again.

1 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。

2 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 overseen   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was overseen stealing the letters. 他被人撞见在偷信件。 来自辞典例句
• It will be overseen by ThomasLi, director of IBM China Research Laboratory. 该实验室由IBM中国研究院院长李实恭(ThomasLi)引导。 来自互联网

5 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。

6 deterred   

v.阻止，制止( deter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I told him I wasn't interested, but he wasn't deterred. 我已告诉他我不感兴趣，可他却不罢休。
• Jeremy was not deterred by this criticism. 杰里米没有因这一批评而却步。 来自辞典例句

7 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。