VOA标准英语2009年-Legislative Campaigning Opens in Niger

By Scott Stearns
Dakar
29 September 2009

Campaigning is under way in Niger for legislative¹ elections that are being boycotted² by the country's main opposition³ parties because President Mamadou Tandja has changed the constitution to extend his time in office.

 
President Mamdou Tandja (File)
Having secured another three years in office and the constitutional authority to run again if he likes, President Tandja is looking to October's legislative election to solidify⁴ his hold on power.

Opening campaigning for that election, President Tandja says it is an opportunity for voters to chose freely and responsibly those who they think are most capable of truthfully fulfilling their aspirations⁵.

After what he calls historic levels of participation⁶ in the constitutional referendum that extended his time in office, President Tandja is calling for massive participation in the legislative elections, saying that will confirm voters' support for the new republic created by the new constitution.

Most of the 20 political parties fielding candidates for the 113 parliamentary seats are allies of the president as opponents of his referendum are boycotting⁷ the vote.

An alliance of leading opposition parties, human rights activists⁸ and trade unions said it will "not endorse⁹ any election organized on the basis of the new constitution."

Alat Mogaskiya is one of the founders¹⁰ of Niger's Party for Democracy and Socialism.

Mogaskiya says you can see that there are a great number of new political parties not previously¹¹ known to the public. He says they want to profit from the absence of the main opposition parties in this election. Mogaskiya says his party will not take part in a vote that he says is a farce¹² and is calling on its supporters not to recognize the authority of any institutions created by the new constitution.

Mogaskiya says is has always been either Niger's Supreme¹³ Court or its Constitutional Court that publishes the list of candidates. If some candidates are disqualified, the court explains its motives¹⁴ for the disqualification. This is the first time that candidate lists are being issued by the Interior Ministry¹⁵.

President Tandja says the people of Niger want him to stay on beyond what would have been the end of his last term in December so he can finish several big projects including a Chinese oil refinery¹⁶ and a French uranium mine.

President Tandja says voters should elect men and women who are capable of making a quality contribution to reforms necessary to increasing the prosperity of Niger and its people.

This is a vote to replace the legislature that Mr. Tandja dismissed when it opposed his referendum. Campaigning for the October 20 election ends October 18.

 

1 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

2 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

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 solidify   

v.(使)凝固，(使)固化，(使)团结

参考例句：

• Opinion on this question began to solidify.对这个问题的意见开始具体化了。
• Water will solidify into ice if you freeze it.水冷冻会结冰。

5 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

6 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

7 boycotting   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店，因为那里的店员在罢工。
• The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

10 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

11 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

12 farce   

n.闹剧，笑剧，滑稽戏；胡闹

参考例句：

• They played a shameful role in this farce.他们在这场闹剧中扮演了可耻的角色。
• The audience roared at the farce.闹剧使观众哄堂大笑。

13 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

14 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

15 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。

16 refinery   

n.精炼厂，提炼厂

参考例句：

• They built a sugar refinery.他们建起了一座榨糖厂。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。