英语听力精选进阶版 13746

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 Voting for God

Summary

27 April 2012

In most countries voting is a human right to be cherished and in a few countries it's even compulsory¹. But is it ever your religious duty? According to Muslim cleric Sheikh Chemseddine Bouroubi it is.

Reporter:

Leana Hosea

Report

"If you do not vote in the upcoming elections God will punish you." That's what Algerians have been told by a prominent Muslim cleric, Sheikh Chemseddine Bouroubi.

Parliamentary elections are being held in May and it's believed many Algerians are going to abstain² from a vote they view as irrelevant³. The authorities are so concerned about a low turnout that the state phone operator has been sending out text messages urging people to cast their ballot⁴. 

Sheikh Bouroubi said Algerians should vote to maintain stability and prevent foreigners from fomenting⁵ revolution. Conditions in Algeria are similar to that in other Arab countries when it comes to widespread poverty, corruption⁶ and high youth unemployment and protests calling for democratic change did take place last year, but they did not turn into a full-scale uprising. 

This vote is being seen as a test of the reforms promised by the government of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to stem further discontent. He has approved over twenty new political parties and says the country is moving gradually towards democracy.

But Parliament is widely considered a rubber stamp body. Power is concentrated in the president, who has ruled since 1999 and the military has a key role in a country which was until last year under emergency law.