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.
两会前奏｜海南：压实责任、筑牢防线，全力营造风清气正换届环境******
海南省七届人大一次会议、省政协八届一次会议将在海口开幕。这是新一届人大代表、政协委员首次参会履职。更为公众关注的是，省两会期间，将选举出新一届省人大政府政协领导班子。
“省委高度重视省人大政府政协换届正风肃纪工作，坚持把严肃换届纪律和会风会纪监督作为贯彻落实党的二十大精神的重要内容和具体实践，以‘零容忍’的态度正风肃纪，全力营造风清气正的换届环境。”省人大政府政协领导班子换届纪律监督工作组（以下简称换届纪律监督工作组）相关负责人介绍，去年9月，省纪委监委便会同省委组织部围绕换届工作筹备和省两会召开前、正式会议等3个阶段，早谋划、早部署，明确了20项主要任务措施，逐项有序落实。
去年10月，《海南省人大、政府、政协领导班子换届正风肃纪工作方案》《关于严肃换届纪律确保换届风清气正的通知》正式印发，压紧压实各级党委（党组）主体责任，进一步严明纪律规矩，引导党员领导干部筑牢思想防线。10月24日，省纪委监委牵头成立换届纪律监督工作组，确保责任到人到岗，形成坚强合力。
在新一届省人大代表选举及政协委员提名推荐过程中，换届纪律监督工作组对拟作为七届省人大代表、八届省政协委员、全国人大代表、全国政协委员和省人大政府政协换届提名的人选，严格执行“凡提四必”和廉政意见“双签字”、代表委员资格联审等制度，严把政治关、品行关、能力关、作风关、廉洁关，加快对相关问题线索的处置、研判，防止“带病提名”。
据悉，自去年9月以来，省纪委监委累计回复党风廉政意见14批629人次，提出暂缓或不宜提名建议27人次。
选举出新一届省人大政府政协领导班子是今年省两会的重要任务。省纪委监委于近日制定省两会纪律监督工作方案，成立综合协调、监督检查、信访举报、问题线索核查等4个工作组，安排80多名干部，重点针对两会期间换届纪律和会风会纪开展监督，并加强与省人大机关、省政协机关、省委组织部等单位的紧密联系和协调联动，确保大会期间纪律监督工作有条不紊推进。
“省两会开幕前，我们会给所有代表、委员及相关工作人员发送严肃换届纪律提醒短信。各代表团（小组）第一次召开会议时，该代表团（小组）党员负责人会重点强调换届纪律。代表、委员需签订《严守换届纪律承诺书》。同时，我们还将组织参会人员观看教育警示片。会议期间，在每个代表团（小组）设置纪律监督员，全程参与代表团（小组）会议，发现苗头性、倾向性问题第一时间汇报处置。”换届纪律监督工作组相关负责人说，省两会期间，如发现涉及违反换届纪律和会风会纪的问题线索，将坚持“零容忍”，做到发现一起、查处一起、通报一起，形成震慑。
自去年10月以来，换届纪律监督工作组指派专人24小时值守“12380”“12388”举报热线，做到全天候受理。省两会期间该举报热线也将继续由专人值守，确保群众问题反映渠道全时畅通。
（海南日报海口1月9日讯）
