VOA标准英语2009年-Zimbabwe's ZANU-PF Looking for Mugabe

Many ZANU-PF delegates say they want to decide who will succeed President Robert Mugabe, who will be 86 in February. President Robert Mugabe received fewer votes in the presidential election last year than MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Peta Thornycroft | Harare 08 December 2009

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (File)

Wednesday, Zimbabwe's ZANU-PF begins one of its most important party congresses since coming to power at the country's independence in 1980.  Many ZANU-PF delegates say they want to decide who will succeed President Robert Mugabe, who will be 86 in February.

Provincial¹ delegates loyal to ZANU-PF are gathering² in Harare for their congress, which is held every five years to decide the party's leadership. 

This party meeting is being held nearly a year after ZANU-PF lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since independence.  Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe received fewer votes in the presidential election last year than MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who pulled out of the second round of runoff citing violence against his supporters.

ZANU-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change have since formed a unity³ government with Mr. Tsvangirai as prime minister.

ZANU-PF delegates say the battle to succeed Mr. Mugabe is between Vice⁴ President Joyce Mujuru and Defense⁵ Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The unity government's political agreement says a ZANU-PF member will succeed Mr. Mugabe as national president should he retire or die before new elections.  Zimbabwe will not vote again until a new constitution is adopted, which could take two years.

ZANU-PF youth secretary for Harare province, Tendai Wenyika, predicted the congress would be turbulent and said most people want the succession issue decided⁶.  She said at previous congresses and annual conferences, the question of succession had been what she described as "taboo⁷."

But she said Mr. Mugabe is now too old to continue for much longer.  She and others also say Mr. Mugabe's long tenure⁸ has caused "factionalism" in the party.

Meanwhile, South Africa President Jacob Zuma's three-person team of mediators is back in Harare, for the second time in two weeks.

They were meeting Mr. Mugabe and Mr. Tsvangirai to try to resolve outstanding issues from the political agreement that led to the still fragile unity government.

Leader of the team, is African National Congress stalwart Charles Ngakula.

"We are following up on the negotiations⁹ that are happening," he said.  "And we believe that there will obviously be a story that we will get.  That is our main purpose so that we can better report that.  We have given a report and of course there were still some details that [Zuma] still wanted to have."

The outstanding issues include senior civil servant appointments made by Mr., Mugabe after he signed the political agreement and his main complaint is that the West maintains some sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Mr. Zuma's team of mediators will forward their report on progress toward resolving the outstanding issues to the Southern Africa Development Community, which guaranteed the political agreement.

 

1 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 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。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 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。

7 taboo   

n.禁忌，禁止接近，禁止使用；adj.禁忌的；v.禁忌，禁制，禁止

参考例句：

• The rude words are taboo in ordinary conversation.这些粗野的字眼在日常谈话中是禁忌的。
• Is there a taboo against sex before marriage in your society?在你们的社会里，婚前的性行为犯禁吗？

8 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

9 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。