VOA常速英语:美国关注卢旺达的选举

The United States congratulates the people of Rwanda on their active and peaceful participation in the presidential election held August 4.More than 6.6 million Rwandans cast ballots for Mr. Kagame, according to the official tally, though this number appears inflated.Just over 80,000 voted for the opposition. The government claimed turnout totaled 97.6 percent.
美国对卢旺达人民积极和平地参与了8月4日的总统选举表示祝贺。根据官方统计，有超过660万卢旺达人民为现任总统卡加梅先生投票，只有8万多人投票反对。虽然这个数字有些夸张，但政府表示投票率达百分之97.6。

But the electoral process fell short of democratic standards. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said.
不过，美国国务院发言人海瑟·诺尔特表示，卢旺达的选举进程不符合民主标准。

“We are disturbed by irregularities observed during voting and reiterate long-standing concerns over the integrity of the vote-tabulation process.”
“我们对在投票过程中观察到的违规行为感到不安，并再次表示对投票表决程序完整性的长期担忧。”

The United States commends the Rwandan media for reporting on complaints of harassment of some opposition candidates and Rwandan citizens during the campaign.The U.S. also commends average citizens, the National Electoral Commission, and government officials for speaking out and addressing those complaints. Spokesperson Nauert added, “We applaud the televised presidential debate, while noting that voters’ understanding would have benefited from broader participation of the candidates themselves.”
美国称赞卢旺达媒体在运动期间，对一些反对派候选人的骚扰行为和卢旺达公民的投诉进行了报道。还称赞了普通公民、全国选举委员会和政府官员在发表和处理这些投诉上做出的贡献。发言人诺尔特补充说：“我们赞同通过电视转播总统辩论，同时注意到，选举活动的广泛传播将有助于选民对候选人的了解。”

The U.S. remains concerned by the lack of transparency in determining the eligibility of prospective candidates.It is hoped the new electoral law to be debated in the next session of parliament will clarify that process well before the 2018 parliamentary elections.
但是，美国仍然担心在确定候选人的资格方面缺乏透明度。希望下一届议会能通过新的选举法，在2018年议会选举之前改善这一进程。

Rwandan President Kagame has led the country of 12 million people since his rebels helped to end the 1994 genocide in which more than 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were massacred by Hutu extremists.Under President Kagame, Rwanda has made great economic strides, but his critics say this has come at the expense of civil liberties and media freedoms.Human rights groups report that his government has used state powers to silence the opposition through systematic repression.
自从叛军帮助结束1994年的种族灭绝以来，卡加梅作为卢旺达总统，领导着该国1200万人民。1994年的种族灭绝运动中，胡图族极端分子屠杀了80多万图西族人和温和的胡图人。在卡加梅总统领导下，卢旺达的经济获得了巨大发展，但他的批评者宣称，这是以牺牲公民自由和媒体自由为代价的。人权团体报告说，卡加梅政府曾利用国家权力，通过有计划的镇压手段来压制反对派。

A constitutional amendment in 2015 allows Mr. Kagame to stay in power until 2034 if he pursues it.The United States expressed disappointment with the change to the constitution and Kagame’s decision to seek a third term.
2015年的一项宪法修正案批准，如果卡加梅先生有意继续执政，可连任到2034年。美国对修改宪法以及卡加梅第三次连任的决定表示失望。

The United States encourages the Government of Rwanda to foster an environment where civil society and all political parties can participate in elections without intimidation and elections truly reflect the will of the people. The United States stands by the people of Rwanda in their efforts to build strong democratic and inclusive institutions in order to ensure long-term stability and a democratic, prosperous future for all.
美国鼓励卢旺达政府建立民间社会和各政党参与选举的环境，不用威胁和恐吓，而是真正反映人民的意愿。同时，美国支持卢旺达人民建立强大的民主和包容性机构，以确保长期稳定和更加民主，繁荣的未来。