VOA标准英语2009年-Gabon to Recount Presidential Ballots

By Scott Stearns
Dakar
27 September 2009

Gabon's constitutional court has ordered that all presidential ballots² be recounted, following complaints from opposition³ candidates that the results are fraudulent. The son of Gabon's long-time ruler Omar Bongo has been declared the winner of last month's vote.

Constitutional Court President Marie Madeleine Mboramsou'o says the court has decided⁴ that all of the votes from the August 30 election should be recounted.

Mboramsou'o says candidate representatives are invited to observe the recount, which will begin at 2:00 Tuesday afternoon. She says results from all of the more than 2,800 polling stations will be reexamined.

Former Defense⁵ Minister Ali Ben Bongo was declared the winner of the election with nearly 42 percent of ballots cast. Former Interior Minister, Andre Mba Obame and opposition leader Pierre Mamboundou each finished with about 25 percent of the vote.

The constitutional court recount follows an electoral challenge by Mr. Obame, Mr. Mamboundou, and several other candidates who accuse electoral officials of vote fraud to benefit Mr. Bongo. The court has until October 18 to rule on that challenge.

Mboramsou'o says if the court finds the results should be annulled⁶, the election will be held again. If the court confirms the results, she says the candidate who was initially⁷ declared the winner will be inaugurated.

Former Prime Minister Jean Ndong says opposition candidates initially filed individual challenges but have since agreed to combine them in a single lawsuit⁸. Mr. Ndong says uniting their legal challenges shows opposition solidarity⁹ behind a common goal -- that the election should be cancelled and re-run because of fraud and intimidation¹⁰ by the ruling party.

Most electoral observers say they believe the vote was fair, despite irregularities - including security forces at polling stations, ballot¹ boxes not properly sealed, and the absence of opposition representatives during some vote counting.

Government spokesman Rene Ndemezo'o Obiang says the opposition has a constitutional right to challenge the result, but he dismisses accusations¹¹ of electoral misconduct.

Mr. Obiang says Gabon's independent electoral commission and its interior ministry¹² did their jobs and have already announced who won the vote.

Mr. Bongo was considered the front-runner since his father's death in June, after 42 years in power. Mr. Bongo ran the best-financed campaign and benefited from the electoral infrastructure¹³ of the ruling party.

But the announcement of his victory was delayed several days by disputes within the electoral commission over its authority to investigate allegations of fraud.

When he was declared the winner, security forces drove off opposition supporters in the capital with tear gas. Demonstrators in the city of Port Gentil burned the French Consulate¹⁴ and attacked offices of French and U.S. oil companies. The government says three people were killed in that violence. Opposition groups say the death toll¹⁵ was at least 15.

Interim¹⁶ President Rose Francine Rogombe says an investigation¹⁷ is underway to determine who was responsible for the violence.

1 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

2 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 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。

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 annulled   

v.宣告无效( annul的过去式和过去分词 )；取消；使消失；抹去

参考例句：

• Their marriage was annulled after just six months. 他们的婚姻仅过半年就宣告取消。
• Many laws made by the former regime have been annulled. 前政权制定的许多法律被宣布无效。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

8 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

9 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

10 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

11 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

12 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。

13 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

14 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。

15 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

16 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

17 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。