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.
贵州省政协五年发展之“最”:与时俱进 守正创新******
中新网贵阳1月12日电(记者杨茜 蒲文思)12日,贵州省政协十三届第一次会议在贵阳开幕。贵州正式进入两会时间。
十二届贵州省政协副主席赵德明代表政协第十二届贵州省委员会常务委员会作工作报告时表示,五年来,贵州省政协坚持发扬民主和增进团结相互贯通、建言资政和凝聚共识双向发力,努力以高质量履职服务贵州省高质量发展。
五年来,贵州省政协事业坚持与时俱进、守正创新,实现了积极发展、取得了长足进步。成绩是全方位和全局性的,其中很多工作具有特殊性、突破性和开创性。
图为政协委员在听取政协第十二届贵州省委员会常务委员会工作报告。 瞿宏伦 摄五年来,贵州省政协加强制度化、规范化、程序化等功能建设,提高深度协商互动、意见充分表达、广泛凝聚共识水平。
报告指出,五年来,最具根本性的是始终坚持习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想科学指导,持续深入推进中央政协工作会议精神走深走实;最具创新性的是搭建高层次协商平台,实现所有党政领导听取委员意见建议和“一府两院”领导同志与委员专题协商“全覆盖”;最具影响力的是登梯借力争取中国经济社会理事会支持,推动国发【2022】2号文件出台;最具广泛性的是组织省市县三级政协开展“百千万行动”,坚决扛起按时打赢脱贫攻坚战的重大政治任务;最具挑战性的是紧急动员政协委员采购疫情防控紧缺物资,为坚决打赢疫情防控阻击战广泛聚智聚力;最具系统性的是指导市县政协加强和改进工作,促进政协协商有效服务基层治理。
十二届贵州省政协副主席李汉宇在作关于提案工作情况的报告时说,五年来,共收到提案3939件,经审查立案3734件。立案提案中,集体提案1249件,委员提案2485件,均已全部办复。提案展现了政协委员为国是建言、为人民履职的使命担当,彰显了人民政协在发展全过程人民民主和发挥专门协商机构作用上的独特优势。提案提出的很多意见、建议得到承办单位的重视和采纳,为助力贵州贯彻新发展理念、融入新发展格局、推动高质量发展贡献了智慧和力量。
图为政协委员在听取政协第十二届贵州省委员会常务委员会工作报告。 瞿宏伦 摄李汉宇表示,五年来,贵州省政协探索“六个首次”,引领发展创新。首次借鉴课题研究方法,从提案线索中遴选重点建言方向,发挥党派团体、各专委会和各界别优势,加强重点提案的组织策划;首次把提案线索征集范围覆盖到社会各界和党委、政府部门,科研机构和市(州)政协,进一步拓宽线索来源渠道,提升线索征集的高度、深度和广度;首次参照提案督办的方式,督促各相关部门按照重点提案的办理要求,对政协全体会议大会发言和联组发言领导批示意见进行跟踪落实;首次推行提案工作表彰新模式,采取年度评选与届次表彰相结合的办法进行表彰;首次实施提案办理工作考核新办法,将提案办理工作纳入省直单位服务高质量发展目标绩效考核,充分发挥考核“指挥棒”的导向作用;首次组建提案工作专家智库,聘请各领域专家学者组成“智囊团”,为提案工作高质量发展提供智力支持。
五年来,贵州省政协围绕推动经济社会高质量发展提出提案1219件;围绕推进社会主义民主政治建设提出提案215件;围绕弘扬新时代贵州精神提出提案289件;围绕完善社会治理改善民生保障提出提案1800件;围绕守住发展和生态底线提出提案211件。
关于贵州省政协今后五年的工作建议,报告提出5方面的建议,持之以恒强化理论武装、持之以恒坚持党的领导、持之以恒深化协商议政、持之以恒服务发展大局、持之以恒汇聚强大力量。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |