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.

国台办：大陆方面一直希望增加航点 已向台湾方面提出******

　　中新网1月11日电 国台办发言人马晓光11日表示，大陆现在疫情防控平稳有序转段，两岸完全有更好的条件尽快开通更多航点，满足两岸人员往来需要。大陆方面一直希望增加航点，并已向台湾方面提出。

　　11日，国台办举行例行新闻发布会。有记者提问：中断三年的“小三通”1月7日部分复航，岛内民众呼吁民进党当局彻底取消限制全面恢复，对此有何评论？大陆优化调整疫情防控政策后，又临近春节，请问除“小三通”外，大陆方面为台胞返乡过年还会提供哪些协助？

　　对此，马晓光表示，1月7日，暂停了近三年的两岸“小三通”海上客运航线部分复航。但与广大台胞期盼还有很大差距。不仅广大台商、台生、台干被排除在外，大陆民众也由于民进党当局限制，无法循此渠道赴台。远远不能满足两岸同胞的期待。

　　马晓光指出，1月8日起，大陆对新型冠状病毒感染实施“乙类乙管”。时值春节临近，为便利台湾同胞返乡过年，大陆有关方面积极支持两岸航空业者大幅增加两岸航线航班。相关航空公司会陆续增加运力，调整两岸运输安排，两岸航班会明显增加。以大家关注的上海浦东机场为例，预计1月8日至31日期间，往返台湾地区的双向载客航班将达日均8班。除增加航班外，扩大航点也是为台湾同胞返乡过年提供便利和保障的必要之举。大陆原有61个两岸空中客运航点，疫情以来，民进党当局单方面关闭了大多数，目前仅有4个大陆航点。我们期盼通过扩大航点增加运力，为台湾同胞返乡过年提供保障。

　　马晓光说，我们敦促民进党当局顺应民意，撤除三年来设置的种种不合理障碍，推动“小三通”全面复航早日实现，尽快恢复两岸原有客运航点，恢复两岸人员往来正常化和两岸民众交流常态化。

　　还有记者还问发言人：陆委会副主委邱垂正称，大陆基于防疫管控的原因，现在既有的4个航点目前只核准飞航29个班次。未来大陆方面如果扩增航点，航空公司就能够增加运能。请予证实。另外除春节外两岸航班平日也存在客源不足问题，请问大陆何时会开放大陆游客赴台旅游？

　　马晓光回应表示，首先，刚才我已经讲过，我们除增加航班之外，也呼吁应尽快恢复航点。大陆现在疫情防控平稳有序转段，两岸完全有更好的条件尽快开通更多航点，满足两岸人员往来需要。据我了解，大陆方面一直希望增加航点，并已向台湾方面提出。

　　其次，运力和客源是互为因果关系的问题。过去受疫情影响，两岸同胞不能正常往来，客流量肯定会下降，航空公司自然会减少航班。现在我们希望这个问题能变成良性循环，增加航班是一方面，尽快开放两岸人员正常交流往来是更重要的方面。随着两岸同胞往来恢复正常，更趋频密和方便，两岸航点、运力和客源也会随之增多。