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.
香港律师何君尧:手持1号证抵“达”广州 开启新年执业******
(情满大湾区)香港律师何君尧:手持1号证抵“达”广州 开启新年执业
中新网广州1月9日电 题:香港“大状”何君尧:手持“1号证”广州开启新年执业
中新网记者 方伟彬
2023年伊始,有30多年律师从业经验的香港“大状”(粤语,指律师)何君尧现身广州,在广信君达律师事务所,开启了新一年的内地执业。
“我一年的时间里会四次到内地上班。”何君尧告诉中新网记者,自去年成为全国首批获准在大湾区内地九市执业的港澳律师以来,这是他第二次到内地上班。
在广州周大福金融中心29层,何君尧的办公室收拾得简洁明了,办公桌上一块“大湾区法律事务首席顾问”的牌子,在阳光的照射下十分醒目。去年7月,广东省司法厅为何君尧颁发了编号为“No.90000001”的粤港澳大湾区律师执业证,截至目前,他在内地执业的半年时间里,已代理了4宗案件。
谈及半年来内地执业的感受,何君尧多次谈到了“先行先试”四字。一方面,这是他对内地司法不断进步的赞赏,另一方面,是对港澳青年律师的勉励。
“广东省司法的体系很先进,从善而流,去年新冠疫情的影响下,在保证个人身体健康,生命财产安全之余,通过视频开庭非常好。”何君尧对内地灵活的办案方式十分赞赏,他在内地代理的第一宗案件,就感受到网上开庭的便捷高效。
粤港澳大湾区具有“一国两制三法域”的特点。何君尧说:“广东省高院曾邀请我和给他们的法官讲课,谈谈香港判例等经验。”内地司法体系“先行先试”的魄力、对香港判例制度的借鉴让他印象深刻。
早在2004年,何君尧香港的律师事务所在广州设立了办事处,但当时香港律师没有内地执业资格,无法进一步服务客户。据他介绍,过去,港澳律师想要获得内地执业资格,必须通过内地统一的国家司法考试。
何君尧回想起三次参加国家司法考试的经历时笑称,和几十万年轻有为内地青年参加司法考试,从头自学内地法律知识,对香港律师来说有难度。他认为,粤港澳大湾区律师执业考试面向港澳有五年以上执业经验的律师,考试内容也相应调整,是一种先行先试的好办法。
据广东省司法厅9日提供的数据显示,截至2022年底,广东共设立了16家粤港(澳)合伙联营律师事务所,派驻和受聘90名香港律师和澳门律师;205名港澳律师通过考试后取得粤港澳大湾区律师执业证书。
自1988年,在香港开办律所至今,何君尧曾担任过香港律师会会长,不断推进内地和香港的法律人才的交流。“我曾带领香港的同业到内地交流,跑遍了内地20多个省市自治区。”
“早年交流的种子,现在开花结果了。”何君尧满面笑容。如今,港澳律师可以在内地执业,他更是信心十足。
广州市律师协会副会长邓传远和何君尧有相同的看法。他认为,相关举措对大湾区融合具有很大意义。邓传远表示,港澳律师在粤港澳大湾区内地九市执业,扩大了他们业务地域。同时,也加强了与内地律师的交流,有利于共同服务中国企业走向国际市场。
何君尧已61岁,但仍干劲十足。何君尧说:“我昨天早上在广州萝岗考察,中午在广州番禺见客人谈案件,下午6时回天河吃完饭,晚上9时,回到酒店再会见另外一批客人。”记者采访当日,他还参加了“涉港澳商事纠纷司法规则衔接指引”研讨会,与港澳青年律师分享执业心得,并鼓励港澳青年律师到内地执业。
采访结束时,何君尧在办公桌上写下:“路虽远,行则将至,事虽难,做则必成,勇往前进,毫无疑虑”。(完)