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.
广西:加力突破 务求实效******
【坚定信心 勇毅前行⑲】
光明日报记者 周仕兴 王瑾雯
1月8日,广西凭祥友谊关口岸全面恢复通关。当日入境旅客2800多名,出入境货物车辆1500余车次,尽管口岸排着几公里“长龙”,但依旧秩序井然。
为保证友谊关口岸全面恢复通关,凭祥市探索建立“党支部+公司+党员”模式,指导友谊镇卡凤村建设司机“红色驿站”,为货车司机和出入境旅客提供暖心服务。司机陆庆华说:“以前都是在车上将就休息一晚,现在在‘红色驿站’住宿,一大早就能开车到越南,既方便又省时。”
畅通物流循环是推动企业稳生产的重要一环。为帮助出口企业在恢复通关后平稳运转,广西崇左税务部门把脉出口企业需求,依托税收大数据和当地运输企业系统开票数据,加快出口企业、运输企业间“购产供销”连接,接起生产链、供应链断点。
“当前正是越南水果上市旺季,应季榴莲等水果容易腐烂。全面通关后,运输业务需求很大,预约不到企业和司机,好在崇左市税务部门牵线搭桥,帮助我们把积压的货物运输出去了。”广西亨泰控果贸易有限公司报关员农桥平说。
想企业之所盼,解企业燃眉之急。广西壮族自治区党委充分发挥党建引领和党员先锋模范作用,加力突破、务求实效,牢牢把握经济工作主动权,推动边疆民族地区高质量发展取得新成效,全力推动全区经济运行整体好转。
全区各地各部门迅速行动起来,自治区工信厅选派工业振兴特派员进驻区内各医药生产企业,“一企一策”帮助解决企业生产运行中的问题;柳州市设立“柳州企业日”“柳州工匠日”,开展企业家培育工程;桂林市叠彩区实施领导干部“企业大走访”行动,助力企业迅速达产稳产、扩能扩产……
一名党员就是一面党旗,一个支部就是一个堡垒。全区各地充分发挥园区党委(党组)、工业振兴特派员工作队服务职能,对亿元以上工业企业、全年产值增速有望扭负回正或收窄降幅企业、高成长性企业等,逐个建立台账实施“一对一”服务,积极引导党员职工带头投入生产一线,成为助力企业复工复产的“服务者”“守护者”。
“我们坚持大抓基层的鲜明导向,着力增强政治功能和组织功能,推动基层党组织提质聚力,把党的组织优势转化为推动改革发展的强大动力,为开辟发展新赛道、塑造发展新优势提供坚实支撑。”广西壮族自治区党委组织部部务委员、自治区党员教育中心(远程办)主任刘晓滨说。
《光明日报》( 2023年01月12日 01版)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)