11-07-06

美中期选举战况激烈投票站开放 (Polls Open in Tight US Mid-Term Elections)

美国中期选举的第一批投票站已经开放。这次选举将决定哪一个政党将控制国会以及其他一些问题。

全国民调预测，反对党民主党获得广泛支持。但最新的调查表明，几场关键的选举比原先的预料要激烈得多。两党都在集中努力鼓励本党的支持者前往投票。天气预报说西北和东南地区有大雨，可能影响那里的选民投票率。

星期二的选举包括36个州的州长选举以及就堕胎、同性婚姻以及干细胞研究等问题进行表决。

布什总统和夫人劳拉星期二上午在老家德克萨斯州的克劳福德投了票。他们下午返回白宫。

布什总统星期一在佛罗里达州、阿肯色州和德克萨斯州为共和党竞选人助选。布什总统敦促民众，如果关注自身安全、希望减税，就应该投共和党的票。

The first polling places have opened for the U.S. mid-term elections that will determine -- among other issues -- which party will control Congress.

National polls have suggested widespread support for opposition Democrats. But the most recent surveys indicate that several key races are much closer than they were earlier. Both parties are concentrating their efforts on getting their supporters to the polls.Heavy rains forecast for the northwestern and southeastern U.S. could affect voter turnout in those areas.

Tuesday's elections include gubernatorial races in 36 states, along with ballot questions on issues ranging from abortion to homosexual marriage to stem cell research.

President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush voted in their hometown of Crawford, Texas early today. They are scheduled to return to the White House later in the day.

On Monday, he campaigned on behalf of Republican candidates in Florida, Arkansas and Texas. Mr. Bush urged all to vote Republican if they value their own security and if they want low taxes.

吉尔吉斯警察向反对派示威者使用催泪瓦斯 (Kyrgyz Police Fire Tear Gas During Opposition Demonstration)

在反对派要求总统辞职的示威中，吉尔吉斯斯坦首都警察使用催泪瓦斯制止斗殴。警察星期二在比什凯克市中心使用催泪瓦斯和烟雾弹制止总统的支持者和反对者的冲突。双方投掷瓶子，用棍子相互殴打。

反对派抗议群众要求巴基耶夫辞职， 因为他没有兑现有关政治改革的承诺。他们自上星期四以来一直在进行抗议。

吉尔吉斯斯坦政府星期二早些时候拒绝了反对党重写宪法的要求，说此举的目的是夺权。反对党议员星期一提出了一个限制总统权限的宪法草案。

巴基耶夫总统威胁，如果反对派继续试图推翻他，他就要解散议会。

Police in the capital of Kyrgyzstan have used tear gas to break up a fight during an opposition demonstration calling for the president's resignation. Police fired tear gas and smoke bombs in the center of Bishkek Tuesday to stop fighting between the president's supporters and critics. The two sides were throwing bottles and beating each other with sticks.

Opposition protesters want President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to resign because he has not delivered promised political reforms. They have been demonstrating since Thursday.

Earlier Tuesday, Kyrgyzstan's government rejected the opposition's move to rewrite the constitution, calling it an attempt to seize power. Opposition lawmakers Monday put forward a draft constitution that would curtail the powers of the president.

Mr. Bakiyev threatened to dissolve parliament if the opposition continues to try to unseat him.