VOA标准英语2010年-Ukraine Vote Begins With Uncertainty A

Two men leave a booth at a polling station in Kiev, Ukraine, 7 Feb 2010. Ukrainians voted Sunday in a runoff election between two bitterly opposed presidential candidates, a vote that some observers predict could be settled in the courts.(AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

The presidential vote in Ukraine opened amid uncertainty¹ over the election laws. Distrust between candidates Yulia Tymoshenko and Viktor Yanukovych has led to doubts about the electoral process.

Four days before voting started Sunday, Viktor Yanukovych's Regions Party in Parliament managed to pass a controversial amendment² to Ukraine's election law. The measure allows a local election precinct to open even if it lacks a quorum³ of commission members representing both candidates.

Serhiy Davydych is a commissioner⁴ representing Mr. Yanukovych at Precinct Number Eight in Kyiv. 

Davydych says there was need to avoid the possibility of special moves by several commission members who could disrupt the election if they failed to show up.

In other words, Yanukovych supporters feared Ms. Tymoshenko would withdraw her representatives from precincts where she was weak. Under the previous law, the lack of a quorum would have prevented the opening of a precinct, thus depriving those registered there of a vote.

Ms. Tymoshenko's representative at the precinct, Volodymyr Rykhlik, says international election observers would make it difficult to carry out such a scheme. Rykhlik's concern is changing election rules so late in the game.

He says any law needs to be verified, reviewed and tried out in practice. He notes that other government laws are studied by commissions, publicized and then released in an official publication.

The head of the Council of Europe's observer delegation⁵, Hungarian lawmaker Matyas Eorsi, says that Ukrainian politicians seem to play with the rules rather than playing by the rules. He cautions that sudden rule changes undermine voter confidence and violate a general principle of election law.

"According to the principle, no country should change the law one year prior to the elections," said Eorsi.  "And in our [Ukrainian] case, it was not only a last minute amendment, but between the two rounds. This is totally unacceptable by any international standard."

The observer delegation from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has urged the losing candidate to accept defeat. But Volodymyr Rykhlik and Serhiy Davydych say Yulia Tymoshenko and Viktor Yanukovych do not know how to lose, and could dispute election results in court or on the streets.

Prime Minister Tmyoshenko and Mr. Yanukovych were the top finishers in last month's preliminary round of voting in the race to replace the current president, Viktor Yushchenko. The campaign has been marked by smears⁶ and there are fears that supporters of the loser could protest on the street.

 

1 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

2 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

3 quorum   

n.法定人数

参考例句：

• The meeting is adjourned since there is no quorum.因为没有法定人数会议休会。
• Three members shall constitute a quorum.三名成员可组成法定人数。

4 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

5 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。

6 smears   

污迹( smear的名词复数 )； 污斑； （显微镜的）涂片； 诽谤

参考例句：

• His evidence was a blend of smears, half truths and downright lies. 他的证词里掺杂着诽谤、部份的事实和彻头彻尾的谎言。
• Anything written with a soft pencil smears easily. 用软铅笔写成的东西容易污成一片。