VOA标准英语2010年-Nigerian Governor Re-Elected as Pressu

 

The incumbent¹ governor-elect of Anambra State Peter Obi speaks on the result of gubernatorial election held in the state on 7 Feb 2010. The Anambra State gubernatorial election which is a prelude² to next year's general elections was marred³ by irregularities in voter's register and low turn out of voters. Obi overwhelmingly won the vote with 97,843 votes, ahead of closest rival Chris Ngige, from the Action Congress opposition⁴ party, who took 60,240. (AFP PHOTO PIUS UTOMI EKPEI)

The governor of Nigeria's Anambra state has been re-elected in a contest marred by incomplete voter lists. This vote was closely watched across Nigeria because it is one of a series of state and federal elections leading up to planned presidential elections next year. Governors want Nigeria's vice⁵ president named acting⁶ leader in the interim⁷ because the elected president has been out of the country for medical treatment for more than 10 weeks.

Anambra state Governor Peter Obi was re-elected in a contest with so many reported irregularities that the governor himself initially⁸ refused to vote because he said thousands of his supporters were unable to cast their ballots⁹ when their names did not appear on local electoral lists.

Despite the incomplete lists and long delays at several polling stations, chief electoral officer Josiah Uwazuronye Sunday declared the governor re-elected.

"Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner and his return elected," said Uwazuronye.

With more than 23,000 security forces deployed¹⁰ in Anambra for the vote, there were no reports of major unrest in the southeast state that saw considerable post-electoral violence in 2007.

Information Minister Dora Akunyili told the local AIT television station that the vote shows the need for electoral reform.

"Election materials did not come to most places before 10:30, 11:00. I believe that is manageable, but I noticed there were other hiccups¹¹. But by and large, I believe that this election is better than what we had in 2007. But still we expect better," said Akunyili.

This vote was closely watched across Nigeria as it is the first in a cycle of state and federal contests meant to culminate¹² with presidential elections in April 2011.

Former Commonwealth¹³ Secretary General Emeka Anyaouku told reporters in Lagos that the Anambra vote will shape the direction elections take next year, as he says the country is at a crossroads where its affairs are not as bright as they should be.

That is partly because of Nigeria's mounting constitutional crisis over the prolonged absence of President Umaru Yar'Adua, who has not been seen since late November when he left for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia.

In the coming week, Nigeria's powerful state governors say they will ask parliament to officially make Vice President Goodluck Jonathan the country's acting leader because, they say, that is in the best interest of the nation.

The ruling party says only President Yar'Adua can pass on that authority by officially notifying lawmakers of his absence. And that, the president's supporters say, is a decision that is entirely¹⁴ at the discretion¹⁵ of Mr. Yar'Adua.

 

1 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。

2 prelude   

n.序言，前兆，序曲

参考例句：

• The prelude to the musical composition is very long.这首乐曲的序曲很长。
• The German invasion of Poland was a prelude to World War II.德国入侵波兰是第二次世界大战的序幕。

3 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

4 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。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 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。

7 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。

8 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。

9 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》

10 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

11 hiccups   

n.嗝( hiccup的名词复数 )；连续地打嗝；暂时性的小问题；短暂的停顿v.嗝( hiccup的第三人称单数 )；连续地打嗝；暂时性的小问题；短暂的停顿

参考例句：

• I cannot find a rhyme to "hiccups". 我不能找到和hiccups同韵的词。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Can we rhyme 'hiccups'with 'pick-ups'? 我们能把‘hiccups’同‘pick－ups’放在一起押韵吗？ 来自辞典例句

12 culminate   

v.到绝顶，达于极点，达到高潮

参考例句：

• The celebration of the centenary will culminate with a dinner.百年庆典活动将以宴会作为高潮。
• Everyone feared that the boundary dispute between these two countries would culminate in a war.人人都担心,这两国间的边境争端将以一场战争到达顶点。

13 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

14 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

15 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。