VOA标准英语2009年-Reform Agenda Lagging as Kenya Enters

At this time next year, Kenyans are hoping for a new constitution, implemented¹ under reformed government institutions. When it comes to politicians, though, Kenyans are long-accustomed to disappointment.

Alan Boswell | Nairobi 15 December 2009

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki (C) and Kenyan PM Raila Odinga (R) greeting the Chief Prosecutor² for the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno-Ocampo (L), ahead of their meeting in Nairobi, 05 Nov 2009.

In May 2008, a few months after a disputed presidential poll threw the nation into weeks of political anarchy³, Kenya's leaders agreed to a long-term reform agenda designed to keep such violence from breaking out again. A year-and-a-half later, many of these reforms are lagging behind schedule as critics question whether the government has the will to tackle them. For VOA, Alan Boswell looks back at the progress reforms in Kenya have made as 2009 nears its end.

The political violence shocked many around the world. In region known for its volatility⁴, Kenya had a reputation for being a dependable oasis⁵ of stability.

As the post-election chaos⁶ spread, former U.N. chief Kofi Annan quickly flew in as the head of a delegation⁷ tasked with brokering⁸ a peace between the two presidential rivals and their supporters. Finally, after weeks of intense negotiation⁹, the two principals agreed to a political power-sharing deal which put incumbent¹⁰ and declared winner of the poll Mwai Kibaki as president and his rival Raila Odinga as prime minister.

With the worst of the crisis temporarily resolved, the Annan-mediated talks turned to a national reform agenda to be implemented under the coalition¹¹ government to ensure the violence did not return during the next electoral round - if not before.

Finally, in May, after a number of rounds of talks, the two parties agreed to an intensive reform process to address the societal rifts¹² nakedly exposed by the ethnic-based slaughters¹³.

Concluding a visit to Kenya this month to review the progress made under the reform deal he negotiated, Annan commended Kenya for the steps it had taken to correct certain ills. But he warned Kenyan politicians against a short memory span, saying that many were acting¹⁴ like they had forgotten the destructive course of events that had led the state to the brink¹⁵ of apparent collapse¹⁶.

"When you see the discussions and moves of some of the politicians and their supporters, it's as if 2007, 2008 never occurred or had no lessons for us. And I think that if we are going to have a peaceful Kenya as we move towards 2012, this attitude needs to be nipped in the bud," said Annan.

Now, at the end of 2009, with most of the agreed-to reforms lingering in task forces and official commissions, the country is already looking forward to its next national poll in 2012. As campaign season draws increasingly near, many are concerned that the nation will soon lose its focus on the reforms.

Ndungu Wainaina, executive director of the International Center for Policy and Conflict and co-head of the Kenya for Change forum¹⁷, says that Kenya's leaders have yet to show that they can move beyond juvenile¹⁸ political games to address these concerns with the seriousness the situation demands.

"We seem to be like in a car stuck in a rut, where we keep professing¹⁹ on having motion, but there is no actual movement. That's why we have formed commissions, we have this, we have that, but  in terms of the actual commitment and will to move the reforms forward, it does not seem to be," he said.

The reforms agreed to included a review process leading to a new constitutional referendum, creating a new electoral oversight²⁰ body, the systematic²¹ reform of the police and judicial²² institutions, prosecuting²³ those responsible for organizing post-election criminal acts, a renewed fight against corruption²⁴ in the civil service, land reform, and curbing²⁵ youth unemployment rates.

Out of the bunch, the constitutional review process is perhaps most on track - but also perhaps most urgent and fundamental. A designated committee has released a public draft for debate, but the two power-sharing parties are still at odds²⁶ over key provisions.

Most notable is the split over whether executive powers should fall primarily to a popularly-elected president or a parliamentary-chosen prime minister. A pair of South African advisors²⁷ to the constitution has warned of the potentially devastating²⁸ consequences of holding a referendum without achieving political consensus²⁹ first. 

The government has publicly admitted its failure to create a local process to try those suspected of post-election crimes. The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has indicated he will likely be targeting two or three top Kenyan officials, but absent a local tribunal, lesser³⁰ offenders³¹ are facing little risk of prosecution³².

A task force on police reforms has completed its work and submitted its recommendations to the president, who has pledged to act on the recommendations. The controversial police head Hussein Ali was sacked in September, but critics say not much else has changed. Little movement has taken place towards judicial reforms, despite a final report issued from a created task force.

The anti-corruption fight recently received a boost from the forced resignation of its much-criticized head, after the nation's parliament refused to accept his re-appointment. But the anti-corruption agency continues to have no prosecuting powers of its own.

Substantive³³ land reform remains³⁴ elusive³⁵, and the youth employment "Kazi Kwa Vijana" program is struggling from a funding shortfall. Hundreds of thousands remain in internally displaced camps, and a national reconciliation³⁶ commission has yet to start its work and suffers from serious credibility questions.

Mr. Annan and his team say that time is not on Kenya's side to address these areas of concern. Accompanying him to the East African nation, Graca Machel, wife of former South African president Nelson Mandela, warned that the upcoming year will critically test Kenya's resolve.

"The window of opportunity to complete the reforms is not endless. It's necessary to speed up the pace to make sure that we don't miss the deadline of 2010 to complete the fundamental reforms," said Machel.

At this time next year, Kenyans are hoping for a new constitution, implemented under reformed government institutions. When it comes to politicians, though, Kenyans are long-accustomed to disappointment.

 

1 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

2 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

3 anarchy   

n.无政府状态；社会秩序混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• There would be anarchy if we had no police.要是没有警察，社会就会无法无天。
• The country was thrown into a state of anarchy.这国家那时一下子陷入无政府状态。

4 volatility   

n.挥发性，挥发度，轻快，（性格）反复无常

参考例句：

• That was one reason why volatility was so low last year.这也是去年波动性如此低的原因之一。
• Yet because volatility remained low for so long,disaster myopia prevailed.然而，由于相当长的时间里波动性小，灾难短视就获胜了。

5 oasis   

n.（沙漠中的）绿洲，宜人的地方

参考例句：

• They stopped for the night at an oasis.他们在沙漠中的绿洲停下来过夜。
• The town was an oasis of prosperity in a desert of poverty.该镇是贫穷荒漠中的一块繁荣的“绿洲”。

6 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

7 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

8 brokering   

v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的现在分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• Intertwined with these were rivalry, power brokering, and patronage. 然而也不乏有抗争、强权操纵与任命特权交织其中。 来自互联网
• Kingston Quest Can Assist Your Company In Negotiations, Brokering, Agency Services, Sourcing Factories Or Property. 金士顿追求，可帮助您的公司在谈判中，经纪，代理服务，货源工厂或财产。 来自互联网

9 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

10 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

11 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。

12 rifts   

n.裂缝( rift的名词复数 )；裂隙；分裂；不和

参考例句：

• After that, through the rifts in the inky clouds sparkled redder and yet more luminous particles. 然后在几条墨蓝色云霞的隙缝里闪出几个更红更亮的小片。 来自汉英文学 - 现代散文
• The Destinies mend rifts in time as man etches fate. 当人类想要再次亵渎命运的时候，命运及时修正了这些裂痕。 来自互联网

13 slaughters   

v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• These vast slaughters have since become notorious. 此后，这些大规模的屠杀，就变成了很不光彩的新闻。 来自辞典例句
• Remembered that despairs and hope that each other slaughters. 记得绝望和希望，彼此厮杀。 来自互联网

14 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

15 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

16 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

17 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

18 juvenile   

n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的

参考例句：

• For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
• Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。

19 professing   

声称( profess的现在分词 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉

参考例句：

• But( which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 只要有善行。这才与自称是敬神的女人相宜。
• Professing Christianity, he had little compassion in his make-up. 他号称信奉基督教，却没有什么慈悲心肠。

20 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。

21 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

22 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

23 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

24 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

25 curbing   

n.边石，边石的材料v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Progress has been made in curbing inflation. 在控制通货膨胀方面已取得了进展。
• A range of policies have been introduced aimed at curbing inflation. 为了抑制通货膨胀实施了一系列的政策。

26 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

27 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

28 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

29 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？

30 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。

31 offenders   

n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
• Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

32 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

33 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

34 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。

35 elusive   

adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的

参考例句：

• Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
• Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。

36 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。