Hooliganism perverts democracy

The government's two motions concerning the chief executive and legislative elections in 2012 passed as expected. Perhaps the only thing outside the plot was League of Social Democrats lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung's expulsion, which he had earned through his trademark performance.

Prior to the debate, the league trio had vowed to remain in the chamber so that their opposing votes would be put on record. I'm not sure how bitter "Long Hair" may feel about missing the vote on the 2012 Legislative Council electoral reform. But what's clear is the saga isn't going to end with the passage.

Political attention is focused right now on the July 1 march, isn't it? Since the first march took place after 1997, it gradually turned into an annual carnival, drawing together a mixture of people clamoring for different causes. As a result, the theme of democracy became increasingly blurred.

Last year, the limelight was stolen by Lehman Brothers' minibond investors after many who were badly burned by the US investment bank's collapse set out ahead of other marchers.

Organizer Civil Human Rights Front said Thursday's march will be led by domestic helpers and workers.

I can't help feeling this year's event is increasingly like the FIFA World Cup: while it is carnival-like, a number of leading players are ousted early.

In the past, Democratic Party leaders always occupied a prominent position at the front of the procession. Where will they appear this time? There is rising doubt they will again take the lead. The party's support for the 2012 electoral reforms has angered radicals in the pan- democratic camp so much that in the past few days, there were calls to exclude the Democrats from the march.

As the radicals raised fists and chanted slogans condemning the political reforms, they failed to act equally democratically to allow different opinions to be heard. This prejudice was best exemplified by what happened at the City Forum yesterday, when Helena Wong Pik-wan, a moderate of the Alliance of Universal Suffrage, revealed how Democratic Party vice-chairperson Emily Lau Wai-hing had been subjected to insensitive verbal attacks that culminated in rape threats.

Clearly, critics had crossed the allowable line into the zone of criminality.

Wong also recalled how the radicals hurled offensive language at her mother.

It was absolutely illogical when somebody stood up and demanded Lau and her party colleagues not join the march so that the post-80s and post-90s demonstrators wouldn't be provoked by the Democrats' mere presence.

In the cyber world, there were also calls for demonstrators to attack Democrats with eggs and tomatoes should they dare show up.

This isn't democracy, but hooliganism.

However, given the charged atmosphere at present, it will be politically unrealistic for Democrats to march at the front as they had in the past.

It wouldn't surprise me if they seek a lower-profile presence in the middle on Thursday.

But without Democratic political figures in the lead, the pro-democracy theme will be blurred even further.

英文虎報 Central Station | By Mary Ma