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.
巴厘岛中美元首会晤:一次相向而行的握手******
(近观中国)巴厘岛中美元首会晤:一次相向而行的握手
中新社印度尼西亚巴厘岛11月15日电 题:巴厘岛中美元首会晤:一次相向而行的握手
中新社记者 郭金超
两国元首面带微笑,相向而行,在相距几步时,彼此向对方伸出手。随后,这一次跨越大洋的握手,成为中美元首巴厘岛会晤中令人印象深刻的一幕。
11月14日下午,印尼巴厘岛,中国国家主席习近平同美国总统拜登举行会晤。世界上最重要的双边关系间的这场互动吸引全球目光。
与无数报道、关注这场会晤的媒体相比,能来到会晤现场的记者无疑是幸运儿。当天,在提前两个多小时候场时,中新社记者在现场看到,国际各大媒体记者早早齐集于此,不少媒体还开启直播模式,动态播报这场世界级会晤进程。
这次会晤的地点在中国代表团的驻地。17时23分许,拜登车队来到巴厘岛努沙杜瓦湾的海滨酒店穆丽雅。美国代表团下榻的君悦酒店距此约10分钟车程。
17时36分许,拜登步入会见厅所在大楼,他快步向习近平走来,两人相距还有五六步时,拜登首先伸出右手。在快门声中,习近平和拜登在八面间隔排列的中美两国国旗前站定,进行了长时间的握手。为更好拍摄这一重要时刻,现场记者各出奇招,大声呼喊以吸引两国领导人的注意。为配合记者的工作,习近平和拜登又一次面向镜头站定合影。
此前,习近平和拜登多次会面,俩人相识已久。自2021年以来,双方已经五次通话或视频会晤。两国元首的这次握手背后,创下多个“首次”:中美元首三年来首次面对面会晤,拜登总统执政后两位领导人首次面对面会晤,中美各自完成今年国内重大议程后两国最高领导人的首次互动……
这次跨越大洋的握手也饱含世界对中美关系的期待。作为世界上最大发展中国家和最大发达国家,中美两国能否处理好彼此关系,攸关世界前途命运。
17时42分许,两国元首移步到会谈厅,正式开始会谈。室内,一排排枝形吊灯下有两列长桌,每边有9个座位。中方陪同人员有中共中央政治局常委、中央办公厅主任丁薛祥,中共中央政治局委员、国务委员兼外长王毅,中共中央政治局委员、全国政协副主席何立峰等。随行参会的美方人员有国务卿布林肯、财长耶伦、总统国家安全事务助理沙利文、美国驻华大使伯恩斯等。
英国广播公司(BBC)报道称:“坐在这个桌前的人,将在管理中美关系方面发挥重要作用。”
在两国元首致开场白环节,拜登首先发言。他说:“我们有责任展现中美之间有能力管控分歧,避免竞争变为冲突,并在紧迫的全球性问题上设法开展合作。习近平主席,我期待着如从前那样持续的、开放的、坦诚的对话。”
习近平在开场白中特别提到“我们今天的会晤举世瞩目”,并直言,当前,中美关系面临的局面不符合两国和两国人民根本利益,也不符合国际社会期待。他说:“我愿同总统先生就中美关系的战略性问题及重大全球和地区问题,一如既往地坦诚深入交换看法,我也期待同总统先生共同努力,推动中美关系重回健康稳定发展的轨道,造福两国,惠及世界。”
简短的开场白后,媒体记者离场,会晤进入闭门阶段。根据官方披露的新闻稿可知,在随后的长时间会晤中,两国元首谈到了各自内外政策、中美关系、台湾问题、各领域对话与合作、重大国际地区问题等五方面议题,覆盖了两国关系最重要的方面和当前最紧迫的地区和全球性问题。
时针指向20时48分许,会谈厅的大门打开,拜登一行离开中国代表团驻地,本次中美元首会晤结束。双方进行了约3小时12分钟的会晤,超过事先商定的时长,而且会晤使用的是同声传译。
围绕这场会晤能否实现中美关系的稳定,国际媒体随即展开了铺天盖地的分析和跟踪报道。按照美方的说法,会晤为中美关系“建立地基”。中方则认为,会晤达到了深入沟通、明确意图、划清红线、防止冲突、指明方向、探讨合作的预期目的。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)