|
|
March 18
No timetable yet for multi-racial government
1992: South Africa votes for change
England have
White South Africans have backed an overwhelming mandate for political
reforms to end apartheid and create a power-sharing multi-racial government.
In a landslide victory for change, the government swept the polls in all
four provinces, and all but one of 15 referendum regions.
It won 68.6% of the vote in a record turn-out, which, in some districts
exceeded 96%.
The extent of change was highlighted in the Kroonstad region of the Orange
Free State, where five of the seven Parliamentary seats are held by the "no"
campaigners in the conservative party.
Despite being one of the most conservative districts in the whole country
there was a small yes majority for change.
Only Pietersburg in the Northern Transvaal, a rural right-wing stronghold
where Dr Andries Treurnicht has his parliamentary constituency as head of the
CP, returned a no vote.
Pretoria, the administrative capital which has symbolised Afrikanerdom,
produced a 57% "yes", in the legislative capital, Cape Town, 85% voted "yes" and
in the judicial capital of Bloemfontein 58.5%.
"Today we have closed the book on apartheid,"" Mr de Klerk said in Cape
Town as he also celebrates his 56th birthday.
White electors have not only voted by a 2-1 majority to abolish apartheid
but also to lose their own power.
Mr de Klerk said the result was a boost for the Convention for a Democratic
South Africa, Codesa, but he could not commit himself to a timetable for
installing a multi-racial government, which required further discussions.
Dr Treurnicht pledged never to work on the Codesa board and that CP would
not join the negotiating forum.
He said: "De Klerk has won his referendum. That is clear."
But he vowed there would be a return of apartheid in the country and he
blamed media propaganda, foreign intervention and threats by businessmen against
employees for the result.
Nelson Mandela, the president of the African National Congress who was
jailed for 27 years because of his fight against black segregation, said he was
""very happy indeed"".
The oil slick spreading from the Torrey Canyon could reach Cornish
beaches
1967: Supertanker Torrey Canyon hits rocks
Artificially 1969:
The Supertanker Torrey Canyon has run aground on rocks between Land"s End
and the Scilly Isles and is leaking its cargo of oil into the sea.
The 974-ft (297m) tanker, which was carrying 100,000 tons of crude oil, hit
Pollard"s Rock in the Seven Stones reef.
The oil patch already forming is believed to be the biggest ever to
threaten the West Country coastline.
There are fears that the beaches of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset could be hit
by the slick.
Cornish beaches
The Navy is plotting the direction of the oil, which is heading slowly
towards the French coast, but say a slight change in wind direction could send
it towards Cornish beaches.
Troops will regularly patrol around the coastline to give some indication
of where the oil might be heading.
The 2nd Infantry Brigade, stationed at Plymouth, is standing by to assist
if the oil threatens beaches.
A Penzance lifeboat official said the position was "serious" because the
oil could cover the whole of the south-west coast for the next year.
The crew of the Seven Stones lightship, two miles off the reef, said they
realised the tanker was in danger when she was still a mile from the
disaster.
There are also fears that the supertanker could catch fire or break-up in
heavy seas.
Up to 10,000 gallons of oil detergent are on their way from Grangemouth in
Scotland to Falmouth.
Vocabulary:
mandate: An authoritative command or instruction(书面命令)
apartheid : An official policy of racial segregation practiced in the
Republic of South Africa, involving political, legal, and economic
discrimination against nonwhites(种族隔离) |
|
发表于 2016-7-9 23:20:49