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.
宁夏建设“三个国家级平台” 支撑枸杞全产业链现代化发展******
中新网银川1月17日电 (李佩珊 屈琳昆)记者17日从宁夏现代枸杞产业质量安全工作新闻发布会上获悉,国家枸杞产品质量检验检测中心(宁夏)已完成筹建,即将验收投运。至此,宁夏建成中国枸杞研究院、国家枸杞质量检验检测中心(宁夏)和国家级中宁枸杞市场“三个国家级平台”,合力推进基地稳杞、龙头保杞、科技兴杞、质量立杞、品牌强杞、文化活杞“六大工程”,宁夏现代枸杞产业正朝着种植规模化、质量标准化、管理规范化、市场品牌化、产业形态一体化方向发展。
截至2022年底,宁夏枸杞种植面积为43.5万亩,更新挖减5.5万亩,实际保有38万亩,基地标准化率80%,鲜果产量30万吨,鲜果加工转化率30%,精深加工产品达10大类100余种,综合产值较上年增长10%。
宁夏林业和草原局党组成员、副局长王自新表示,“三个国家级平台”从科技研发、质量安全、市场培育三个方面集中发力,支撑了枸杞全产业链现代化发展。中国枸杞研究院组建了枸杞资源与遗传育种、生态种植、病虫害综合防治、质量标准与测试、功效物质基础、产业中试孵化6个研究中心,以及宁夏枸杞创新中心、枸杞技术成果信息化转化应用中心2个转化应用中心。国家枸杞产品质量检验检测中心(宁夏)主要依托宁夏药检院建设,目前已通过中国认证认可监督管理委员会检验检测机构计量资质认证(CMA认证),预计2023年上半年正式运行。国家级中宁枸杞市场是农业农村部和宁夏回族自治区人民政府共同推进的“部区共建”项目,已建成“中宁国际枸杞交易中心”线上交易平台,30多家企业、商户开展了线上交易。
同时,为加强枸杞产品质量安全抽检,宁夏农业农村厅在沙坡头区、中宁县等地创建枸杞农药标准化经营示范门店74家,设立枸杞用药专柜,确保枸杞用药合法合规。2022年,宁夏市场监管厅、林草局全年开展抽检3562批次,枸杞主产县(区)对辖区内生产经销的枸杞及其制品定期开展监督抽检,枸杞生产经营主体按照规定开展自检,以此确保枸杞质量安全,持续提升从“田间”到“舌尖”质量安全管理全过程。(完)
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)