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.
南水北调:2023年着力推进后续工程规划建设****** 新华社北京1月12日电(记者刘诗平)中国南水北调集团有限公司董事长蒋旭光12日表示,2023年是加快推进南水北调后续工程高质量发展、加快构建国家水网的关键之年,南水北调集团将立足“调水供水行业龙头企业、国家水网建设领军企业、水安全保障骨干企业”战略定位,加快推进南水北调后续工程规划建设和国家水网构建,加快建设世界一流企业。 蒋旭光在南水北调集团2023年工作会议上说,2023年南水北调集团将着力推进南水北调后续工程规划建设,加快畅通国家水网大动脉,完善“四横三纵”规划布局。围绕工程布局、实施安排、建设运营体制、水价和投融资机制、数字孪生等,深度参与南水北调工程总体规划修编;高标准、高质量建设引江补汉工程,统筹推进初步设计报批、关键技术攻关、临时工程先期建设、主体工程招标等相关工作,加快工程建设进程,推进施工建设尽快进入高峰。 同时,积极推进东、中线其他后续工程规划建设,加快东线二期可研报告修改完善,着力推进中线防洪安全保障工程建设,依法合规推进中线沿线调蓄工程论证实施,积极推进中线总干渠挖潜扩能前期工作;加快推进西线工程前期工作,争取早日立项,为尽快建设实施创造条件。 蒋旭光表示,2023年南水北调集团将着力加快推进国家水网构建。主动承担国家骨干水网建设任务,积极参与骨干输排水通道建设,谋划构建华北水网,参与开发建设战略水源地等一批国家水网重点工程项目。持续延展区域水网,推进国家骨干水网工程与区域水网工程互联互通,提升水网覆盖范围和服务能力。推进水网开发模式创新,深化与有关地方和单位战略合作,通过“调水+”协同开发周边及密切关联项目和产业,提升综合效益。 此外,2023年南水北调集团将更加着力强化各类风险防控,持续做好年度调水工作,充分发挥综合效益。突出抓好已建工程防汛和冰期输水工作,加快推进重大问题科技攻关,加快数字孪生南水北调建设。 2022年,南水北调后续工程加快实施,引江补汉工程快速实现开工建设,东、中线一期工程运行安全平稳、调水任务超额完成。统计显示,2022年度南水北调中线调水92.12亿立方米,为年度计划的127%;东线北延工程向黄河以北补水1.89亿立方米,为年度计划的215%,助力京杭大运河实现了百年来首次全线水流贯通。 (文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |