经济学人下载:脆弱民主制度下的选举:为什么监管更重要(2)

The likes of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe prefer monitors from the African Union, who in the past have endorsed suspect results (they have recently become a bit more rigorous).
像津巴布韦总统Robert Mugabe这样的人，更喜欢赞成可疑票数的非洲联盟监管员（现在他们已经更谨慎了）。

More ambitious places, such as Kenya and Ghana, crave the imprimatur of the European Union and respected American outfits, notably the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute and the Carter Centre.
但是想更进一步发展的国家，例如肯尼亚和加纳，就更信任欧洲和美国的监管队伍，尤其是美国国家民主协会、国际共和研究所和卡特中心。

Nowadays foreign monitoring teams start to arrive a good month before the big day and stay for at least a month after it.
现在国际监管队伍会在选举之前一个月就到达当地，并且在选举结束之后的一个月再离开。

The outsiders help in several ways.
这些“外人”起到了不小的作用。

They provide expertise on technology, especially concerning the registration of voters and the method of vote-counting.
他们能够提供专门的，尤其是涉及票数登记和记录的技术。

Monitors also help co-ordinate “parallel vote tabulation”, whereby samples of the results from randomly selected polling stations are collected and presented quickly to prevent fraud in the later counting process.
他们还能够帮助协调“并行投票列表”，由此从投票站随机抽取的样本能够及时收取和陈列，也就能够减少计票环节的欺诈行为。

Crucially, foreign monitors support local watchdogs who do most of the work and face the greatest risks.
最重要的是，国际监管员能够给冒险监察选举的人提供庇护。

Foreigners alone cannot ensure fair elections.
但是仅仅靠国际监管员是远远不够的。

They rely on the co-operation of local governments, to gain access to the entire process, including the voters' register.
他们需要当地政府的支持来参与包括选举人的登记过程在内的投票全过程。

But they can raise the bar against rigging.
这样他们也能更好地减少滥用私权问题。

Beyond constraining the incumbents' power, their scrutiny can build popular trust in the elections—and make it easier for losers to accept defeat.
除了限制当权者的权力之外，他们的审查还能在选举过程中营造相互信任的氛围，也让败选者们更能接受结果。

It is an expensive business, but worthwhile.
这是一笔昂贵的买卖，但值得。

Worryingly, the Trump administration is trying to slash the State Department's budget which helps support democracy, including election monitors.
令人担忧的是特朗普政府正试图削减中央政府的预算，这些预算主要用于支持民主，包括选举监督。

Congress is right to resist such cuts.
国会拒绝这样的要求是正确的。

Fair elections make Africa more stable.
公平的选举保证了非洲的平稳。

Giving up on them spreads anger and poison around the world.
放弃他们就等于在全世界散布愤怒和毒药。