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.
聚焦脱贫、经济、城乡、生态 内蒙古亮过去五年“成绩单”******
中新网呼和浩特1月12日电 (记者 李爱平)1月12日,内蒙古自治区十四届人大一次会议开幕。当天,内蒙古自治区主席王莉霞作政府工作报告时,从脱贫、经济、城乡、生态等多个领域介绍了过去五年内蒙古取得的成绩。
王莉霞表示,内蒙古自治区十三届人大一次会议以来的五年,内蒙古举全区之力打赢脱贫攻坚战,157万贫困人口全部脱贫,57个贫困旗县全部摘帽,3681个贫困嘎查村全部出列,历史性地解决了绝对贫困问题,与全国一道共圆小康梦、迈上新征程。
王莉霞介绍,过去五年,内蒙古综合经济实力大幅跃升,地区生产总值从1.5万亿元增长到2.2万亿元,人均地区生产总值从6.1万元增长到9.2万元。粮食总产量从全国第十位跃升至第六位,牛奶、羊肉、牛肉和羊绒、饲草产量稳居全国第一。累计生产煤炭53亿多吨、发电2.9万亿度,煤、电保供量均居全国第一。
过去五年,内蒙古城乡面貌发生巨大变化。官方介绍,内蒙古城镇化率从64.6%提高到近69%,乡村振兴全面推进,东中西部差异化协调发展格局初步形成。张呼、通新、喀赤高铁相继通车,公路里程增加1.7万公里,呼和浩特新机场主体完工,21个通用机场建设完成,水利、能源、信息等一批重大工程建成投运。
过去五年,内蒙古生态环境质量持续改善。官方表示,内蒙古全面完成中央第一轮环保督察及“回头看”整改任务,黄河、“一湖两海”、察汗淖尔等重点河湖流域治理成效显著,破坏草原林地违规违法问题得到有效整治。累计造林3700多万亩、种草1.2亿多亩、防沙治沙5400多万亩,均居全国第一,创建10个国家生态文明建设示范区和8个“绿水青山就是金山银山”实践创新基地。
此外,官方还透露,过去五年,内蒙古全面落实党中央疫情防控部署要求,全力处置额济纳、满洲里、二连浩特、呼和浩特等地疫情,最大程度保护了人民群众生命安全和身体健康。坚决整治政府过度举债乱象,重举整治煤炭资源领域违规违法问题,深入推进金融领域改革化险,妥善处置原包商银行、新时代信托风险。扫黑除恶专项斗争圆满收官,社会治安、安全生产、食药安全形势持续向好,社会大局保持稳定。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)