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.
河南平顶山一皮具厂非法处置危险废物 21人被追责问责******
中新网2月3日电 据“清风平顶山”微信公众号消息,河南省平顶山市纪委监委3日发布关于鲁山县张良镇宇航皮具厂非法处置危险废物案件追责问责情况的通报。通报表示,平顶山市纪委监委深入调查关于张良镇宇航皮具厂非法处置铝灰渣等危险废物问题,共追责问责21人。
2021年4月23日,中央第五生态环境保护督导组移交鲁山县环保局职工王炳方等人非法生产并处置铝灰渣问题线索后,平顶山市纪委监委高度重视,立即成立市县两级调查组,依规依纪依法进行了深入调查,并对存在环境监管失职失责问题的相关人员进行了严肃追责问责。现通报如下:
一、关于张良镇宇航皮具厂非法处置铝灰渣等危险废物问题
经查,2019年6月,原鲁山县环保局职工王炳方为非法牟利,伙同张良镇张南村村民冯延伟等人,从事铝灰渣加工回收金属铝业务,并将产生的废铝灰掩埋在冯延伟经营的宇航皮具厂内及该厂北侧500米的土地内。经河南省生态环境科学研究所鉴定,该厂加工、处置的铝灰原料和倾倒物均属于“危险废物”,该掩埋点共非法占用耕地4.5亩,其中基本农田1亩,现场共清理废物、废铝灰16819吨,由此形成的环境损害赔偿金额为3868万余元、土壤和地下水生态环境损害金额78万余元。平顶山市生态环境局鲁山分局(原鲁山县环保局)、鲁山县张良镇人民政府、鲁山县自然资源局相关人员对生态环境保护工作重视不够,执法不严,履职不力,在环境监管、耕地保护等工作中存在失职失责问题。
二、有关责任人员处理情况
本案共追责问责21人,其中移送司法机关判处刑罚4人,开除党籍4人,开除公职4人,政务撤职2人,调离环保工作岗位3人。
王炳方,平顶山市生态环境局鲁山分局原职工,违反国家法律法规,被给予开除公职处分;犯污染环境罪,被司法机关判处有期徒刑六年。
李庆涛,平顶山市生态环境局鲁山分局环境监察大队一中队(张良中队)原中队长,违反政治纪律,违反中央八项规定精神,违反国家法律法规,被给予开除党籍、开除公职处分;犯环境监管失职罪,被司法机关判处有期徒刑一年六个月,缓刑二年。
李苏南,平顶山市生态环境局鲁山分局环境监察大队一中队(张良中队)原副中队长,违反政治纪律,违反中央八项规定精神,违反国家法律法规,被给予开除党籍、开除公职处分;犯环境监管失职罪,被司法机关判处有期徒刑一年二个月,缓刑一年六个月。
陶林超,平顶山市生态环境局鲁山分局环境监察大队一中队(张良中队)原工作人员,严重职务违法,被给予开除公职处分;犯环境监管失职罪,被司法机关判处有期徒刑八个月,缓刑一年。
刘广跃,鲁山县张良镇环保所原所长,违反工作纪律,被给予开除党籍、政务撤职处分,调离环保工作岗位。
安华延,鲁山县张良镇环保所原副所长,违反工作纪律,被给予开除党籍、政务撤职处分,调离环保工作岗位。
另对负有领导责任的鲁山县自然资源局党组原副书记(主持全面工作)陈新兴等5人,违反工作纪律的平顶山市生态环境局鲁山分局环境监察大队大队长李永军等7人,违反工作要求的鲁山县张良镇国土资源所原负责人孙自合等3人,分别给予党纪政务处分或组织处理。
(文图:赵筱尘 巫邓炎)