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.
政协重庆市第六届委员会第一次会议开幕******
中新网重庆1月12日电 (刘相琳 杨梦逸)中国人民政治协商会议重庆市第六届委员会第一次会议12日在重庆开幕。本次会议为期4天,共有八项议程。中共中央政治局委员、重庆市委书记袁家军出席开幕会并讲话。
袁家军在开幕会上表示,五年来,全市政协系统围绕中心、服务大局,发扬民主、增进团结,政治建设有新成效,建言资政有新成果,凝心聚力有新办法,特色品牌有新亮点,自身建设有新进步,为全市大局展现了政协担当、发挥了政协作用、作出了政协贡献。
袁家军指出,当前和今后一个时期,要坚持党的领导、统一战线、协商民主有机结合,坚持团结、民主两大主题,坚持围绕中心、服务大局,不断提高政治协商、民主监督、参政议政水平,为新时代新征程全面建设社会主义现代化新重庆开好局起好步贡献更大的政协力量。
在开幕会上,王炯代表政协重庆市第五届委员会常务委员会作工作报告时指出,五年来,重庆市政协紧扣中心大局,聚焦重点任务,就加快现代化产业体系建设,专精特新企业发展,数字经济发展,智造重镇建设等议政建言。引导委员紧扣全市“双稳” 相关工作自主调研2000 余人次,提出建议 800 余条。邀请委员和专家登上“智汇经济圈”舞台,围绕助力重庆新能源和智能汽车高质量发展、西部金融中心打造等建诤言、献良策。
工作报告称,五年来,重庆市政协助推内陆开放高地建设实现新的突破。持续跟进协商中新互联互通项目建设问题,围绕打造长江上游航运中心、建设中西部国际交往中心等深入研究,举办西部陆海新通道沿线“13+1”省区市政协联合协商,履职成果转化为全国两会联名提案和会议发言,一些建议被国家有关规划采纳。
在助推成渝地区双城经济圈建设方面,重庆市政协组织委员就“加快建设具有全国影响力的科技创新中心”提出建议1300余条。组织视察调研,助力构建“一区两群”区域协调发展格局。加强同四川省政协联系合作,组织住川渝全国政协委员提交联名提案,《关于支持建设川渝自贸试验区协同开放示范区的提案》被列为全国政协重点提案办理。分年度就共建西部科学城等开展联合履职。支持川渝毗邻地区政协合作。川渝政协共助渝昆高铁建设。
陈贵云代表政协重庆市第五届委员会常务委员会作提案工作情况报告时表示,五届重庆市政协期间,广大政协委员、政协各参加单位和各专门委员会共提交提案7596件。经审查,立案6237件,并案后交办5286件。提案聚焦国之大者、民之关切,内容丰富、涉及面广、质量较高。所有交办提案均已按时办结。一大批提案建议为重庆市委和市政府科学民主决策起到了重要参考作用,展现了人民政协作为专门协商机构在推进全过程人民民主中的重要作用。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)