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.
“一刻不停”自我革命,习近平再释全面从严治党******
中新社北京1月10日电 (记者 张素 邢翀)中共中央总书记、国家主席、中央军委主席习近平9日上午在中国共产党第二十届中央纪律检查委员会第二次全体会议上发表重要讲话。这是他连续第11次在新年伊始出席中央纪委全会。
接受中新社记者采访的党建学者表示,经过新时代十年全面从严治党实践锤炼,管党治党宽松软状况得到根本扭转。如今,习近平强调“一刻不停推进全面从严治党”“发扬彻底的自我革命精神,永远吹冲锋号”,释出中共全面从严治党一刻不松、半步不退的鲜明态度。
“全面从严治党永远在路上,要时刻保持解决大党独有难题的清醒和坚定。”习近平在讲话中强调。他还将解决这些难题比作实现新时代新征程党的使命任务必须迈过的一道坎,是全面从严治党适应新形势新要求必须啃下的硬骨头。
中共中央党校(国家行政学院)教授戴焰军注意到,继二十大报告提出“大党独有难题”这一重要命题,习近平此番用“如何始终不忘初心、牢记使命”“如何始终统一思想、统一意志、统一行动”等六个“如何”进一步明确何为百年大党必须解决的独有难题,意在让全党清醒认识自身党情,“全面从严治党也就有了前提和方向”。
与此同时,学者表示以“必须迈过的一道坎”、“必须啃下的硬骨头”形容解决大党独有难题,体现出推进全面从严治党的紧迫性。中共中央党校(国家行政学院)教授竹立家举例说,现实中有些领导干部搞“两面派”,有些党员理想信念发生动摇,已经影响到党的公信力。如今重申“如何始终不忘初心、牢记使命”,有助于从根本上解决“对党忠诚”这一核心问题。
在以“永远吹冲锋号”亮明坚决态度的同时,习近平强调,要站在事关党长期执政、国家长治久安、人民幸福安康的高度,把全面从严治党作为党的长期战略、永恒课题,“把党的伟大自我革命进行到底”。
受访学者称,唯有坚持自我革命精神,推进全面从严治党,才能真正实现稳固执政地位、社会长治久安、人民美好生活等目标。在新时代新征程上起好步开好局,更需从新的战略高度“一刻不停推进全面从严治党”。
未来如何推进?习近平此番着重阐述“一个重要体系”,即“全面从严治党体系”,并作出一系列战略部署。
新时代十年,中共已初步构建起全面从严治党体系。二十大报告首次提出“健全全面从严治党体系”后,习近平此番指出,进一步健全这一体系要坚持“内容上全涵盖、对象上全覆盖、责任上全链条、制度上全贯通”。
“当前出现的不少问题往往具有关联性,比如作风问题、纪律问题容易演变为腐败问题,这就要求我们必须坚持问题导向、以全局思维统筹,将全面从严治党体系建成一个内涵丰富、功能完备、科学规范、运行高效的动态系统。”戴焰军说。
基于这一体系,习近平还在全会上作出一系列战略部署。学者对此表示,这些部署承上启下、切中要害,立足现实、着眼长远,彰显“一刻不停推进全面从严治党”的力度。
对于反腐败工作,习近平强调必须深化标本兼治、系统治理,一体推进,并点明“进一步健全完善惩治行贿的法律法规”“严厉打击那些所谓‘有背景’的‘政治骗子’”等举措。
“对行业性、系统性、地域性腐败问题进行专项整治,以及结合近期贪腐案件严厉打击‘政治骗子’,相关部署都找准了问题根源,将进一步铲除腐败滋生土壤。”戴焰军说。
外界注意到,纪律建设被摆上更突出位置。习近平指出,党规制定、党纪教育、执纪监督全过程都要贯彻严的要求,“既让铁纪‘长牙’、发威,又让干部重视、警醒、知止”。
竹立家表示,加强纪律建设是全面从严治党的治本之策,突出用纪律管党治党、抓早抓小,意在把“严”的要求贯彻到纪律的前沿、监督的前沿,以期发挥出“治本”效果。
此次讲话中,习近平还着眼于发挥全面从严治党的引领保障作用,提出“要以有力政治监督保障党的二十大决策部署落实见效”,“及时准确发现有令不行、有禁不止”,切实打通贯彻执行中的堵点淤点难点。
党建学者认为,管党治党和中央决策部署能否落到实处,监督必不可少,且关键在于各级纪检监察部门。在全面贯彻落实党的二十大精神的开局之年,通过在中央纪委全会上强化政治监督,会让百年大党在新的“赶考之路”上行稳致远。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)