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.
件件有着落 事事有回音——湖南检察机关加强代表委员联络工作综述******
“我要为你们点赞!这几年，我多次受邀参加你们组织的各类活动，见证了检察机关深化司法民主建设、推进全过程人民民主的责任与担当，也感受到检察机关接受监督的诚心。”近日，湖南省第十三届人大代表熊水俊对省检察院主动接受人大监督给予高度肯定。
近年来，湖南检察机关主动接受人大监督和政协民主监督，加强代表委员联络工作，带着责任和感情办好每一条代表建议、委员提案，让建议、提案件件有着落，事事有回音。
金杯银杯不如群众的口碑
12处陈年垃圾堆积被清理，16处排水系统淤堵破损被整改……去年，湘乡市高速公路附近居民10余年的头疼问题得以解决。
原来，沪昆高速通车以来，给当地百姓带来方便的同时，也因排水沟堵塞、垃圾处置不当、涵洞破损等原因，导致高速公路周边村民水塘遭污染、村民农田被垃圾侵占，当地群众意见较大。
省十三届人大代表熊水俊了解情况后，于2022年省两会期间向大会提交了《关于整治高速公路附属设施遗弃以及排水边沟堵塞问题的建议》。
面对人大代表和人民群众的关切和期待，湖南检察机关郑重承诺：“检察机关将开展公益诉讼检察，推动群众急难愁盼问题的解决，绝不能让群众的期待落空。”
此后，湘潭市检察机关通过与人大的联动，在全市范围内部署开展高速公路周边整治公益诉讼专项监督活动，推动问题很快得到解决，得到了人大代表和群众的一致称赞。
据了解，2018年以来，省检察院共办理代表建议83件、委员提案18件，内容涵盖服务经济社会高质量发展、服务和保障民生建设、未成年人综合司法保护、建设过硬检察队伍、加强基层检察院建设等方面，所有代表建议和委员提案均按期办结，建议提案办理工作得到省人大常委会、省政协和代表委员的充分肯定。
带着责任和感情办好每一条建议、提案
2022年11月22日，省十三届人大常委会第三十四次会议分组审议《湖南省检察院关于省十三届人大五次会议以来代表建议、批评和意见办理情况的报告》，对全省检察机关主动接受人大及其常委会监督、确保检察权始终在阳光下行使、持续提升司法公信力给予了高度评价。
“省检察院把代表委员联络工作纳入党组重要议事日程，要求全省检察机关带着责任和感情办好每一条监督意见，推动湖南检察工作干在实处、走在前列。”省检察院办公室(新闻办)主任匡广问介绍，每一件代表建议和委员提案都逐件定责任领导、定责任部门、定责任人、定办理时限，实行“一月一调度、一季一检查、半年一公布”，及时准确掌握代表建议和委员提案办理工作进度。
此外，省检察院依托现代信息化技术创新代表委员联络途径和联络方式，2021年在“湖南检察”官微互动子菜单建立“联络之窗”，设置“活动剪影”“检务信息”“我的印迹”“建言献策”4个模块，与人大代表、政协委员建立“掌上联络平台”，实现“一键通话交流”。
截至目前，该平台共有900余名人大代表、政协委员关注，联络人大代表、政协委员1300余人次，答复人大代表、政协委员意见建议630余份，发布检察信息3万余条。
公开是公正的基石。全省检察机关还常态化开展“检察开放日”活动，2018年以来共邀请社会各界走进检察、监督检察3.9万余人次，邀请人大代表、政协委员参加视察调研、执法检查、案件评查、听庭评议、公开听证等活动3.3万余人次。（李国平 刘长军）
