VOA标准英语2010年-End of Gadhafi's AU Presidency Stirs S

Malawi is scheduled to take over the rotating African Union presidency¹ from Libya at an AU summit next week. But, delegates gathering² for pre-summit sessions are expecting the unexpected from the outgoing president, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. 

Libya's year as president of the African Union is about to come to an end. Or at least it is supposed to.

Since the organization was founded, the presidency has rotated yearly by geographical³ region. Last year it was Libya's turn as the candidate of North Africa. This year, is is southern Africa's turn, and Malawi has been chosen by the regional grouping, known as SADC, to take the job.

Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutarika has signaled he is ready to take up the post.

But as pre-summit talks began Monday, the question on everyone's lips is whether Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi will find a way to stay on. Mr. Gadhafi has hosted several African leaders in recent days, and is reported to have won the backing of some west African nations for  another year in the presidency.

News reports Monday said southern Africa's most influential⁴ leader, South African President Jacob Zuma, was visiting Libya for talks with Mr. Gadhafi.

Diplomats⁵ spoke⁶ anonymously⁷ because they are not authorized⁸ to comment on the record. Several, however, recalled last year's unusual maneuverings, when a summit scheduled for Madagascar had to be relocated after the government was ousted⁹ in a coup¹⁰. Since it was southern Africa's turn to host the gathering, the island nation of Mauritius offered to step in as a substitute. But with weeks to go, Mauritius surprised observers by withdrawing its bid in favor of Libya.

Briefing reporters Monday, AU Commission Secretary, Ambassador Jean Mfasoni was non-committal when asked about Malawi's candidacy.

"This is the responsibility of member states," he said. "Malawi is the candidate for SADC, and as usual there will be a process of elections, so it will be done according to the rules, and we expect the assembly will decide accordingly."

With Mr. Gadhafi in charge until at least next Monday, there is speculation¹¹ he may push the summit to advance the creation of an African Union Authority with far more power than the current AU Commission. Mr. Gadhafi has made the Authority one of the main goals in his bid to forge greater African integration¹².

Many African leaders opposed to the Authority thought the item had been shelved, at least until a summit later this year in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, at which time Mr. Gadhafi would no longer control the agenda. But AU Commission Secretary Mfasoni says it may appear on the Assembly's agenda this week.

"According to decision 263 of the Assembly we are expected to report to the next summit in Kampala in July, 2010," he said. "However, we are prepared as a Commission to give under the report on the implementation¹³ of decisions, a brief(ing) on actions being undertaken."

This summit will mark the first time all 15 seats will be up for grabs on the AU's most powerful body, the Peace and Security Council. Diplomats say the North African group has chosen Libya and Mauritania to fill its two seats, while Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa have been selected to represent the southern region.

The other two regions are still undecided. Kenya and Djibouti are said to be in line for two of the three eastern region seats, with the third being contested by Ethiopia, Rwanda and Uganda.

The western region is less certain. Diplomats say Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal have good chances to take three of the four seats, with Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Mali all in the running for the fourth.

1 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

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 geographical   

adj.地理的；地区(性)的

参考例句：

• The current survey will have a wider geographical spread.当前的调查将在更广泛的地域范围內进行。
• These birds have a wide geographical distribution.这些鸟的地理分布很广。

4 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

5 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 anonymously   

ad.用匿名的方式

参考例句：

• The manuscripts were submitted anonymously. 原稿是匿名送交的。
• Methods A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 536 teachers anonymously. 方法采用自编“中小学教师职业压力问卷”对536名中小学教师进行无记名调查。

8 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

9 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

10 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

11 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

12 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

13 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。