Brave step

THE meeting that took place yesterdaybetween central government officials andDemocrats is of great significance in that ithas opened a new chapter in Hong Kong politics. It iscalled an "ice ice--breaking meeting". However, as thedemocrats have been estranged from the centralauthorities for twenty twenty--one years and constitutionalarrangements are intricate, it is impossible to have allthe issues settled at one meeting. Nevertheless, itsgood success would decisively help shape HongKong's sensible, pragmatic political ecology. Asmatters stand, it depends on the central government'spleasure whether it will prove successful. The ball is inits court.

The central government had disencumbered itselfof a load before the officials met the Democrats. TheHong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic DemocraticMovements in China, set up because of the June 4incident, calls for ending one one--party rule. The centralgovernment therefore regards it as hostile. No centralofficials would openly have any dealings with anyAlliance members. Yesterday, six Democratsdialogued with central government officials. Amongthem are Albert Ho and Cheung Man Man--kwong. Both ofthem sit on the Alliance's standing committee, andAlbert Ho also serves as its secretary general. Suchcapacities of theirs had been no obstacle to themeeting. That shows moderatism has gained ground inBeijing.

The Democrats disapprove of the de factoreferendum strategy. They have sought to have talkswith the central government and pressed for aroadmap for introducing universal suffrage in the SAR.

They have come under huge pressure from the rest ofthe pan pan--democratic camp and exposed themselves tohuge political risk. Though the turnout at the May 16by by--election was low, the Democrats may have lostsome young voters. How that has impacted on theparty's political clout will become clear at the 2011District Council (DC) election and the 2012 LegislativeCouncil (Legco) election. In short, because there is noproof that its dialogue with central government officialswill produce real results, the Democratic Party is now"in the red".

Hong Kong must solve the problem ofdemocratising its political system lest it shouldcontinue to weaken amid endless internal strife.

Judging from what has happened over the pasttwenty twenty--five years, it is a must to dialogue with thecentral government with a view to resolving once andfor all the crux of the political system. That is whatresponsible political groups and politicians must do.

The Democrats took a courageous step when theydialogued with central government officials at hugepolitical risk. That manifests their political courage andcommitment.

The central government has taken a courageousstep as the Democrats have done. However, it doesnot follow that they can settle their differences.Dialogue is only a means.

The Democrats have asked that the centralgovernment define universal suffrage more specificallyso that Hong Kong people will be sure that they willexercise general universal suffrage in electing theirChief Executive in 2017 and their legislators in 2020.

This request is very reasonable. If what is referred to inthe December 2007 decision of the National People'sCongress Standing Committee as universal suffrage isgenuine universal suffrage, we cannot see the centralgovernment would have any insurmountable difficultydefining universal suffrage more clearly andspecifically.

The Democrats have suggested that the fiveadditional DC functional constituency (FC) seats andthe existing one be filled by candidates nominated byDC members and returned by "one man one vote".

The method of voting could be "single seat, singlevote" or one of proportional representation.

The Democrats have also proposed that, toensure its smooth transition to 2016 and 2020, Legcobe further democratised with a "one man, two votes"method. If this proposal is accepted, it will be clear thatHong Kong's constitutional system will move towardsuniversal suffrage. That would on another level boostHong Kong people's confidence that they willeventually enjoy genuine universal suffrage. For thisreason, we believe the central government would dowell to consider adopting it.

We hope the meeting between the Democrats andthe central government officials will bear such fruit thatHong Kong people will know dialogue is useful andmay have the positive effect of seeding updemocratisation. If this is the case, Hong Kong'spolitical ecology will develop healthily, and there will beno hotbed of radicalism.

明報英語網「雙語社評」english.mingpao.com/critic.htm　

明報社評

中央民主黨邁出勇敢一步 塑造理性政治生態現契機

中央官員與民主黨成員昨日的會晤，給本港政治揭開新的一頁，意義重大。這次會晤雖然被視為「破冰之會」，但是民主派與中央隔閡21 年，而且政制安排錯綜複雜，一次會晤就解決全部問題的可能性不大，不過，若取得積極成果，對塑造本港理性務實的政治生態，會有決定性作用。從情况看來，這次會晤之成敗由中央掌控，現階段球在中央一方。

中央這次與民主黨會晤，首先要放下了一個包袱。因為六四事件成立的支聯會，包括提出「結束一黨專政」，中央就此視支聯會為敵對組織，一直以來拒絕與支聯會的人公開交往。民主黨與中央對話的66 人，其中何俊仁和張文光是支聯會常委，何俊仁更是秘書，他們這個身分對會晤並未構成障礙，顯示中方陣營也是溫和取態抬頭。

民主黨不認同公投路線，尋求與中央溝通，爭取終極普選路線圖，數月以來，對其立場質疑之流言蜚語不少， 民主黨在泛民陣營承受巨大壓力，政治風險極高。55．．16 補選所見，投票率雖低，但是經此一役，相信民主黨會流失部分年輕選民的選票，對民主黨政治能量的影響，明年的區議會和後年的立法會選舉，會是考驗。總之，眼前由於未能證明與中央溝通對話可以獲得實質成果，民主黨是處於「虧損」狀態。

若想香港不再在無窮無盡的內耗中衰弱下去，必先解決政治體制的民主化問題。根據過去25 年的經驗，與中央溝通對話，尋求徹底解決政制死結是必由之路，也是負責任政團和政治人物的必然選擇。民主黨甘冒巨大政治風險，與中央溝通，邁出勇敢一步，也是政治勇氣和承擔的表現。

中央和民主黨都邁出勇敢一步，不等於雙方分歧得以解決，溝通只是手段。

民主黨要求中央就普選定義作出更具體闡述，使港人可以安心2017 年普選特首和2020 年普選立法會，是「真普選」。這個訴求，其實甚為合理。若中央在2007 年12月人大常委會《決定》給予香港的是真普選，則就普選定義作更清晰明確闡述，看不到不可踰越困難。關於2012 年立法會選舉安排，民主黨建議55 席區議會新增功能組別議席，連同原有區議會功能組別議席，由區議員提名，由市民以一人一票選舉產生，方式可以是比例代表制或單議席單票制。

民主黨的建議以一人兩票方式，增加立法會民主成分，以過渡到2016 和2020 年，若獲接納，則顯示整體政制安排是朝着普選、民主化進發，從另一個層面強化港人對最終朝向「真普選」的信心。基於此，我們認為值得中央考慮。

我們希望中央與民主黨的會晤有積極成果，使港人知道溝通、對話是有用的，可以起到推動民主化的積極效果，這樣的話，香港政治生態朝着良性方向發展，激進取態就會失去滋長的土壤。

2010.05.25