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.
深港口岸1月8日起分阶段恢复运行******
中新网深圳1月5日电 (朱族英)深圳市口岸办公室5日发布公告称,深港口岸于2023年1月8日起,分阶段有序恢复内地与香港人员正常往来。
该公告指出,第一阶段恢复运行的口岸为深圳湾口岸、福田口岸、文锦渡口岸、蛇口口岸、机场福永码头。
为确保通关初期口岸运行畅顺,蛇口口岸、机场福永码头通过售票机制管控;除上述码头外,陆路口岸通过预约系统安排每天出境旅客人数。入深方面,由香港方面安排预约并进行核验(内地居民入境深圳无需预约);赴港方面,由深圳方面安排预约并进行核验(香港居民返港无需预约)。每日预约出境总数为50000人。
其中,深圳湾口岸10000人;文锦渡口岸5000人;福田口岸35000人;以上预约安排含小客车司机及乘客。
此外,深圳各口岸恢复至疫情前的正常通关时间,深圳湾口岸旅检通关时间为6:30-24:00;福田口岸通关时间为6:30-22:30;文锦渡口岸通关时间为7:00-22:00;蛇口口岸通关时间为7:00-22:30;机场福永码头通关时间为8:00-21:00。
该公告提及,自香港入境人员凭行前48小时新冠病毒感染核酸检测阴性结果入境,将检测结果填入海关健康申明卡。海关对健康申报正常且口岸常规检疫无异常者,可放行进入社会面。健康申报异常或出现发热等症状人员,由海关进行抗原检测。结果为阳性者,若属于未合并严重基础疾病的无症状感染者或轻型病例,可采取居家、居所隔离或自我照护,其他情况提倡尽快前往医疗机构诊治。结果为阴性者,由海关依惯例按照《中华人民共和国国境卫生检疫法》等法律法规实施常规检疫。
此外,由出境方负责验核出境旅客是否为合资格的出境人士:深港双方在旅客出境前,稽查旅客持有在出行前48小时核酸检测阴性结果证明;港方口岸人员会稽查进入内地的非内地居民旅客,持有有效的预约证明方可继续行程。内地居民旅客不受此限;内地口岸人员会稽查赴港的非香港居民旅客,持有有效的预约证明方可继续行程。回港的香港居民旅客不受此限。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)