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.
印尼已为中国游客准备好红毯!******
新华社雅加达1月12日电(记者孙磊)中国近期不断优化调整防疫政策、有序恢复公民出境旅游以来,东南亚多国陆续加入“抢客”行列。在旅游业发达的印度尼西亚,旅游和创意经济部长桑迪亚加·乌诺隔空“喊话”,印尼“已为中国游客准备好红毯”。当地旅游业协会和从业者也热情期待着中国朋友的到来。
“中国游客,印尼欢迎你们!”乌诺日前在印尼首都雅加达举行的例行发布会上说。
乌诺近日告诉新华社记者,新冠疫情冲击印尼旅游业,近100万个工作岗位受到影响。疫情之前,中国是印尼境外游客的主要来源地。印尼中央统计局数据显示,2019年到访印尼的中国游客达207万人次。中国游客对印尼重振旅游业十分重要,越来越多往返中国与印尼的航班复航对于印尼旅游业是特别积极的消息。
2022年12月31日,人们在印度尼西亚巴厘岛观看新年烟花。新华社发(比辛拉西摄)
印尼度假胜地巴厘岛深受中国游客喜爱。印尼旅游知识分子协会会长阿兹里尔·阿扎哈里表示,旅游业是巴厘岛主要经济活动,盼望中国游客尽快到来,“这有利于刺激印尼、尤其巴厘岛的旅游业发展”。
“这里曾经有很多中国游客。我们希望中国游客回来,这将振兴巴厘岛的旅游业。”巴厘岛旅游车司机克图特·梅尔塔说。
这是2023年1月1日在泰国曼谷郑王庙上空拍摄的新年烟花。新华社发(拉亨摄)
面对中国市场,东南亚多国“抢客”的心情热切、诚意十足。政要和官员纷纷为本国旅游业“代言”,向中国游客发出“邀请函”。菲律宾总统马科斯日前发出邀请,希望中国游客重返菲律宾,领略这个热带海岛国家的自然风光和人文风情。柬埔寨首相洪森表示,欢迎中国游客来柬旅游、振兴该国经济和旅游业,柬埔寨不会对华采取入境防疫限制措施,希望今年接待200万人次的中国游客。
1月9日下午,泰国副总理兼卫生部长阿努廷、旅游与体育部长披帕、交通部长萨撒扬等官员到机场欢迎防疫政策调整后首批抵泰中国旅客。准备好的鲜花、纪念品,亲切相迎的笑脸和问候,上书“中泰一家亲”的横幅,现场气氛温馨。泰国财政部长阿空·登比达亚拜西日前表示,虽然世界经济面临下行压力,但中国游客回归等利好因素,有望推动泰国实现今年3.8%的经济增长目标。
1月9日,泰国官员在位于首都曼谷东郊沙没巴干府的素万那普机场欢迎搭乘厦门航空MF833的旅客。新华社发(拉亨摄)
新加坡卫生部长王乙康日前表示,“中国的开放是大好消息,我们期待已久,两国可以恢复丰富的、实质性的人文交流。”
针对多个国家近期出台欢迎中国游客的举措,外交部发言人汪文斌11日在例行记者会上表示,中方会为游客前往这些国家旅游提供更多便利,将继续优化调整有关措施,与各方共同保障中外人员安全顺畅有序往来,为国际团结抗疫和世界经济复苏贡献力量。
他表示,友善自然会让中国游客感受到温暖和欢乐、宾至如归,成为他们选择出境旅游目的地的重要因素之一。(参与记者:郭鑫惠、王亚光、宋宇、刘锴、林昊、蔡蜀亚、李、成欣、冯歆然;报道员:古鲁、瓦扬、蒂姆、塔纳;剪辑:沈浩洋;编辑:马晓燕、孙浩)
新华社国际部制作
新华社国际传播融合平台出品
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)