4. Answer the following questions on the article using the active vocabulary.

1. What can stall the country's reform program in Serbia?

2. What is needed for the elections to be valid?

3. How many votes did the current president get?

4. Who will become the acting president if the failure of the elections is confirmed?

5. When should next elections take place?

6. What can failed elections lead to?

V

1. Read the article and look up the underlined words and phrases in the dictionary. German election battle heads for a tense finish

Voters in Sunday's German general elections will be sounding the closing bell on one of the most dramatic campaigns for decades.

The ruling coalition of Social Democrats and Greens leads in most opinion pollsthis week, but the outcome and the composition of the next coalition, remain wide open.

Whichever party emerges the winner, Germany's complex voting system and the nuances of coalition building makes the complexion of the next government difficult to predict.

This year's elections herald the first postwar reduction in the size of the Bundestag, the parliamentary lower house, from 665 to 598 seats in a response to population decline and budgetary pressures. This has intensified competition for the remaining seats.

Partly because of the parties' close standing in the polls, voter turnout is expected to be high. In the previous election, 82 per cent of voters cast ballots — high by international standards. similar turnout among 61.2 eligible voters is expected this time.

Germany's electoral system, based on proportional representation, is distinctive in giving each elector two votes, for constituency representatives and parties. The second vote, for parties, is decisive as it determines each group's share of the seats.

Parties must also overcome a minimum 5 per cent threshold to be represented in parliament, in a rule aimed at excluding small, potentially extremist groups andensuring stable majorities.

2. Give Russian equivalents of the following words and phrases.

Opinion polls; lower house (upper house); population decline; voting system; to stand close in the polls; outcome; electoral system; composition of a coalition; 5 per cent threshold; to ensure stable majority; to cast ballots.

3. Give English equivalents of the following words and phrases.

Избирательная система; опрос общественного мнения; 5-процентный барьер; набрать почти равное количество голосов; итог; верхняя палата парламента (нижняя палата парламента); обеспечить стабильное большинство; отдавать голос (бюллетень); уменьшение численности населения; состав коалиции; система голосования.

4. Say if the following statements are true or false. Use the introductory phrases for agreement and disagreement. (See III. 4.)

1. Germany's elections will start on Sunday.

2. The ruling coalition lags behind according to opinion polls.

3. The outcome of the elections as well as the composition of the next coalition are not clear yet.

4. The German electoral system clearly defines the make-up of the next parliament.

5. The size of the Bundestag has been reduced this year due to budgetary pressures.

6. A great number of people are going to take part in the elections.

7. The turnout of 82% is rather low by international standards.

8. Each voter has two votes.

9. Every party that takes part in elections should be represented in the parliament.