VOA标准英语2010年-Ethiopian Opposition Fears Rout in Par

Early reports suggest Ethiopia's ruling party has won a massive victory in Sunday's parliament elections.  Almost every major opposition¹ leader appears to have been defeated.

The headquarters of Ethiopia's main opposition party was like a funeral parlor² as observers reported in from around the country, opposition leaders were dumbstruck at the possibility of a nearly complete rout³.

High-profile leaders such as former president Negasso Gidada, senior figures in the parliamentary opposition Merera Gudina and Beyene Petros, all appear headed for defeat.

Other prominent political leaders, including Hailu Shewal and Lidetu Ayalew were also said to have conceded. 

In Addis Ababa, opposition parties won all 23 seats in parliament five years ago, but this time it looks as if they have been wiped out.

Sitting in a quiet back office of jailed opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa's Unity⁴ for Justice and Democracy party headquarters, parliamentary leader Temesgen Zewdie was devastated⁵ by the early results.

"It is a total surprise, a total shock, and we are sure investigating as to what went wrong for us to perform this poorly," said Temesgen Zewdie.

Temesgen said an opposition divided into many blocs⁶ made it easy for Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front in 'first past the post' contests.

"Medrek in Addis and the regions, in the preliminary showing, is second to EPRDF, and had this been proportional representation, we probably would have shared some seats with the ruling party, but since this is winner take all system, we are at a disadvantage," said Temesgen.

In the yard outside party headquarters, scores of young opposition supporters milled around, obviously upset.  Nineteen-year-old Achame Lazarus, who had served as a Medrek poll watcher Sunday, said the election had been stolen.

"We are practicing false democracy in Ethiopia, the principles are being told by our government officials, but as you can see from the ground level, things are going not on the right track," said Achame Lazarus.

Medrek senior leader and former Ethiopian president Negasso Gidada said the job of party elders is to cool down their disenchanted supporters to avoid a repeat of the violence that followed the disputed 2005 election.

"Maybe some of them are angry, but we will cool them, we will register the facts, what happened in the process, tell them what happened, and after telling them, we will tell them, be cool, we are a peaceful party, and when there are cases that have to go to the election board, and if it is not solved there we will go to the court," said Negasso Gidada.

The first word from election officials is the elections had gone smoothly⁷ and peacefully.  National Electoral Board spokesman Mohamed Abdurahman said there had been no reports of cheating.

"The board has received no single complaint formally, including the opposition parties, the public, the ruling party, they all said it was peaceful, calm and free," said Mohamed Abdurahman.

Ruling party officials were cautious in declaring victory.  Government Communications Minister Bereket Simon would only say it appeared as if the EPRDF had won comfortably.  Party spokesman Hailemariam Dessalegn said he was standing⁸ by earlier predictions of turnout possibly exceeding 90 percent. 

The European Union and African Union deployed⁹ a total of nearly 250 observers spread out across the country to monitor activities at 43,000 precincts.   EU Chief Observer Thijs Berman has scheduled a news conference Tuesday to deliver a preliminary verdict on the fairness of the vote. 

 

1 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。

2 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

3 rout   

n.溃退，溃败；v.击溃，打垮

参考例句：

• The enemy was put to rout all along the line.敌人已全线崩溃。
• The people's army put all to rout wherever they went.人民军队所向披靡。

4 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

5 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

6 blocs   

n.集团，联盟( bloc的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The division of Europe into warring blocs produces ever-increasing centrifugal stress. 把欧洲分为作战集团产生了越来越大的离心效果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The policy of the two blocs was played out. 把世界分为两个集团的政策已经过时了。 来自辞典例句

7 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

8 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

9 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。