中新网评:美国众议长选举“连续剧”暴露美式民主痼疾******
中新网北京1月9日电(蒋鲤)在15轮投票表决后,美国众议院议长选举这场“连续剧”终于落下帷幕,众议院共和党领袖凯文•麦卡锡最终成功当选第55任美国众议院议长。这是美国国会过去164年来耗时最久的一次议长选举记录,将美国“对抗式民主”的弊端暴露无遗。
资料图:美国众议院共和党领袖麦卡锡。中新社记者 沙晗汀 摄由于两党对立加剧、党派内斗、利益分配不均等因素,众议长选举陷入一场拉锯战。在此次众议长竞选中,美国民主党议员继续抱团,多轮投票中,一票不投麦卡锡,共和党右翼“强硬派”领头的约20人小团体也拒绝投票麦卡锡。
麦卡锡的当选之路一波三折,除了本人的“政治投机派”角色在国会不受欢迎外,与共和党内部政治分歧关系密切。
一方面,共和党党内反对者认为,麦卡锡对民主党态度过于软弱,无力对抗民主党控制的参议院和拜登政府,另一方面,因为共和党的多数优势微弱,党内一些影响力较小的派系的政治力量则被放大,有利于他们巩固自己的选票。
此外,党内反对者也认为,自己的选票没有换取更多利益,希望以此作为筹码换取麦卡锡更大的让步,比如让他们获得众议院重要委员会中的职务。
作为仅次于美国总统、副总统的政坛三号人物,众议院议长通常由众议院多数党领袖担任,选举几乎没有悬念。然而,麦卡锡此次为当选,不得不做出多个关键让步,其中可能包括恢复一项罢黜议长动议机制,使得众议长的权力被削弱,难以掌控众议院。
美国有线电视新闻网CNN称,麦卡锡在这场不合时宜的政治勒索中作出让步,这种绥靖政策只会让极端主义势力更加强大。
这场引发全世界围观的尴尬选举暴露出美国政治存在严重的对立和分化。在权力博弈思维的裹挟下,党派利益凌驾于国家和人民利益之上,美国两党相互拆台,陷入“为反对而反对”的无脑对垒。而即便是一党内,也会因为利益分配问题产生不同的小派系,相互对抗,选票变成了谋利益的工具。
从国会山骚乱到打破记历史记录的15轮众议长选举,“对抗式民主”让美国政治陷入瓶颈,长期对抗势必会让政客们丧失客观公正的判断能力,其政治阶层是否有能力治理国家也会引发质疑。
两党之争和党派内斗进一步放大了美国政治体制弊病,美国所谓的“民主”形象,让全世界大跌眼镜。鼓吹以选民利益为先的美式选举,变成了政客们利益置换的游戏,进一步彰显出美国“民主政治”日渐失能,不断极化的党争已使美国政治制度陷入死循环。
House speaker election reveals deep-rooted problems in U.S. democracy
(ECNS) -- The Republican leader Kevin McCarthy was elected as the 55th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives after 15 ballots. As the most grueling House speaker election in the past 164 years, the election has highlighted the defects of the country’s "confrontational democracy".
The election once reached a stalemate due to intense partisan strife, inner-party struggle among the Republicans, uneven distribution of interests, and more. Democratic Party members forged a close alliance, refusing to vote for McCarthy, while about 20 Republicans also declined to cast ballots for the GOP leader.
Except for his unpopular role as a "political speculator" in Congress, McCarthy’s hard-won election can be attributed to turmoil within the Republican Party.
On the one hand, opponents in the Republican Party believe that the GOP leader's attitude toward the Democrats is too weak to confront the Senate controlled by Democrats and the Biden administration.
On the other hand, the political power of some less influential factions in the Republican Party has been amplified due to the Party’s weak majority advantage in the House of Representatives, which is conducive to consolidating their ticket warehouses.
Meanwhile, these opponents believe that their votes failed to win them more benefits, hoping to use this as a bargaining chip for McCarthy's further concessions, such as getting them positions in important House Committees.
As the third political figure after the President and Vice President of the U.S., the speaker, by tradition, is the head of the majority party in the House of Representatives.
But McCarthy has made many concessions in order to bring the ultra conservatives along, involving what’s known as the “motion to vacate,” a mechanism by which members can force a vote to depose the speaker. The reported concessions will empower individual members at the expense of McCarthy’s sway as speaker.
CNN thought the concessions he made during this unseemly political shakedown would only make the extremist faction more powerful.
This embarrassing election, which has drawn global attention, exposed the serious opposition and polarization in American politics. Both Democrats and Republicans put their interests before that of the country and its people, attacking and opposing each other irrationally.
Besides, different factions arise within a single party and confront each other because of the distribution of interests. Votes have become a tool to win more benefits.
From Capitol riots to the House Speaker election with record-breaking ballots, "confrontational democracy" has become a bottleneck of American politics. Long-term confrontation will surely impede politicians to think objectively and fairly while their capacity of governing the country will also raise doubts among the public.
Both parties’ struggle and infighting among the Republicans have further amplified the defects of the American political system, with its "democratic" image shocking the world.
The U.S.-style election, which advocates putting voters' interests first, has become a game of interest exchange among politicians. In addition, it further demonstrates the malfunction of American "democratic politics" and the constantly polarized party struggle that has trapped the American political system into an infinite cycle.
十二届云南省政协共收到提案4160件 助推该省高质量发展****** 中新网昆明1月10日电 (记者 韩帅南)记者从10日开幕的中国人民政治协商会议云南省第十三届委员会第一次会议上获悉,五年来,十二届云南省政协共收到提案4160件,经审查立案3816件。目前提案已全部办结,为推动云南省经济社会高质量发展作出积极贡献。 大会上,十二届云南省政协主席李江作政协云南省第十二届委员会常务委员会工作报告。她表示,十二届云南省政协先后围绕铸牢中华民族共同体意识、自然保护地体系建设、高黎贡山生物多样性保护、美丽县城建设、推进中老铁路沿线产业发展、提升口岸城镇功能、加快边贸创新发展等议题,开展深度调研,组织深入协商,提出了一批有价值、有影响的意见建议。 李江称,十二届云南省政协连续5年把脱贫攻坚、乡村振兴作为重要议题,通过常委会议进行专题协商议政,为省委、省政府决策施策提供多角度、系列化的参考意见。针对营商环境优化、新型基础设施建设、城市黑臭水体治理、良种繁育基地建设、旅游市场整治、长征文化挖掘保护与宣传、职教园区发展、自由贸易区建设、边境小康村建设等议题,通过专题调研视察等发现问题、提出建议,起到了以协商促改进、以监督助落实的作用。 图为云南省政协委员在会场合影。 李嘉娴 摄值得一提的是,云南省政协切实以数字化赋能政协协商。2019年以来,云南省政协年度重点协商议题实现了网络议政全覆盖,共组织开展远程协商20多次、网络议政100多次,切实把数字技术的即时性、开放性特点与政协协商的广泛性、互动性特色有机结合起来,进一步提升了协商实效。 十二届云南省政协副主席高峰在大会上作政协云南省第十二届委员会常务委员会关于提案工作情况的报告。他表示,在3816件提案中,各民主党派云南省委、省工商联、有关人民团体和省政协各专门委员会集体提案906件,占23.7%;委员提案2910件,占76.3%。 高峰称,五年来,在经济建设方面,围绕贯彻新发展理念、制定实施“十四五”规划、促进对外开放、推动经济高质量发展等方面提出提案1726件。在政治建设方面,围绕发展社会主义民主政治、全面依法治省、民族团结进步示范区建设等方面提出提案254件。在文化建设方面,围绕坚定文化自信、弘扬优秀传统文化、加强基层公共文化建设、促进文旅融合、推动社会主义文化繁荣发展等方面提出提案342件。 在社会建设方面,围绕打赢脱贫攻坚战、巩固脱贫攻坚成果、推进乡村振兴、保障和改善民生等方面提出提案1024件。在生态文明建设方面,围绕持续治污节能、改善生态环境、推动绿色低碳发展、创建生态文明建设排头兵等方面提出提案314件。疫情发生以来,围绕统筹推进疫情防控和经济社会发展等方面提出提案156件。 “十二届云南省政协圆满完成使命,十三届云南省政协已经扬帆起航。”大会上,李江对新一届政协工作提出建议,要深入学习贯彻中共二十大精神,聚焦党委政府中心任务协商议政,广泛凝聚新时代云南社会主义现代化建设正能量,持续加强政协履职能力建设。(完)
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