CET6

　　BANGKOK, the capital of Thailand, fell into turmoil when protesters stormed the city's major Suvarnabhumi airport last week. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat and his party reportedly agreed to step down after a court ruled that the party had committed voter fraud. This has led to speculation that the country will hold a new election.
　　Only one week ago, Somchai had rejected protestors' calls to step down. A report in the British newspaper The Guardian read: "Somchai has dismissed a call by the army chief, Anupong Paochinda, to dissolve parliament and hold snap elections as a way to resolve the crisis."
　　What is a "snap election"? The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines it as "done, made, or carried through suddenly or without deliberation" (仓促的，未经深思熟虑的). In politics, a "snap election" is an election called earlier than scheduled (提前选举). Generally, a snap election is called when no one expects it and is often used to take advantage of a unique electoral opportunity – or to decide a pressing issue.
　　In the sentence "Brown was widely criticized last year for allowing rumors of a snap election to build up unchecked (未受抑制的)", "snap election" refers to an election within the British Labor Party to replace present leader Gordon Brown.
　　In Western politics, there is also the term "recall election". This term refers to a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office before his or her term ends (罢免选举). Arnold Schwarzenegger, governor of the US state of California, was elected governor in 2003 through a recall election. Here's an example from a 2003 news report:
　　Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger formally entered the California recall election on August 9, telling supporters he would be "the people's governor".
　　In the recall election, Schwarzenegger replaced then-Governor Gray Davis, whose popularity had dropped due to the rising cost of energy and the state’s worsening economy.
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（责任编辑：中大编辑）