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.
“坚持人与自然和谐共生 共建清洁美丽世界”主题边会在蒙特利尔举行******
中新网蒙特利尔12月8日电 《生物多样性公约》第十五次缔约方大会(COP15)第二阶段会议当地时间7日在加拿大蒙特利尔开幕。当天,“坚持人与自然和谐共生 共建清洁美丽世界”主题边会作为COP15中国角首场边会成功举行。
本次边会由生态环境部环境与经济政策研究中心、中国新闻社主办,中国新闻网承办,旨在进一步凝聚保护生物多样性全球共识,推动COP15第二阶段会议达成富有雄心、平衡、务实、有效、强有力且具变革性的“框架”。COP15主席、中国生态环境部部长黄润秋出席边会并作主旨发言。
COP15主席、中国生态环境部部长黄润秋出席“坚持人与自然和谐共生 共建清洁美丽世界”主题边会并作主旨发言 余瑞冬摄黄润秋表示,通过多年努力,中国生物多样性保护取得显著成效,有效保护了90%的陆地生态系统类型和74%的国家重点保护野生动植物种群,新增森林面积居世界首位,300多种珍稀濒危野生动植物野外种群得到很好恢复。中国的实践和成效表明,经济发展与生态保护不是非此即彼的“单选题”,人与自然是和谐共生的命运共同体。
黄润秋指出,今年10月胜利闭幕的中国共产党第二十次全国代表大会对推动绿色发展、促进人与自然和谐共生作出重大战略部署,宣示了中国与国际社会一道应对全球生态环境挑战,共建地球生命共同体的鲜明态度和责任担当。中国期待各方共同推动达成国际社会期待已久的、兼具雄心和务实平衡的“框架”,遏制并扭转生物多样性丧失的严峻形势,走上通往人与自然和谐共生的美好未来。
COP15主席、中国生态环境部部长黄润秋出席“坚持人与自然和谐共生 共建清洁美丽世界”主题边会并作主旨发言 尹灵摄边会由中国代表团团长、生态环境部副部长赵英民主持。联合国《生物多样性公约》秘书处执行秘书穆雷玛、加拿大环境与气候变化部国际关系助理副部长德波尔、世界自然基金会全球总干事兰博蒂尼等出席边会并作主旨发言。中国驻加拿大特命全权大使丛培武出席边会。
“中国在生物多样性保护方面取得了卓越成就。”穆雷玛表示,作为全球最大的发展中国家,中国在生物多样性保护领域发挥着独特作用,走出了一条既提高人们生活水平,又较好地保护生态的发展道路,为发展中国家提供了可供效仿和学习的模式。
联合国《生物多样性公约》秘书处执行秘书穆雷玛出席“坚持人与自然和谐共生 共建清洁美丽世界”主题边会并作主旨发言 尹灵摄德波尔向中方成功举办中国角边会表达祝贺。他表示,希望未来几周,双方能共同努力,达成2020年后全球生物多样性框架,“这将是大自然的胜利”。
兰博蒂尼表示,中国积极参与世界环境保护进程,尤其是担任COP15主席国以来采取了一系列措施,令人感到非常振奋。“接下来两周,我们将听到更多关于中国经验的分享。”
边会设置主旨发言、圆桌对话、案例分享等环节,邀请地方政府、非政府组织和企业代表,分享中国生物多样性保护和生态文明的典型案例,体现共建清洁美丽世界的理念,促进全球可持续发展。
“坚持人与自然和谐共生 共建清洁美丽世界”主题边会圆桌对话环节“茶与咖啡的对话” 余瑞冬摄在“茶与咖啡的对话”环节,中外嘉宾讲述了关于茶与咖啡的精彩故事,从两大饮品长达千年的种植史中,解读人与自然和谐共生的内涵。在案例分享环节,嘉宾通过从香禾糯到中药材,从土地修复到红树林湿地保护,从江豚到青头潜鸭等典型案例,展现了中国对于生态环境保护的独特智慧和辛勤付出,也阐明了中国逐绿前行的坚定决心。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎) [责编:天天中] 阅读剩余全文() |