Account helps remove misunderstandings

THE Democratic Party has released a full account of its talks with the SAR government and the central government. It can be sensibly and objectively summed up by the following three points. First, the Democratic Party has not budged from its political position. Second, its talks with the central government have produced initial results - led to actual democratisation. Third, it remains to be seenwhether its line or strategy will prove effective. In our view, the Democratic Party's frank account will not cure some of their prejudice or prevent its foes fromattacking it. The party can only try to win citizens' support with its good work.

No sooner had the Democratic Party adopted itsline of pushing for democratisation by having dialogue with the central government than radical democrats began to ridicule and insult it. It has endured humiliation lest contradictions should intensify. Their efforts have produced results, but radicals havebashed it even harder. "As distance tests a horse's strength, so time reveals a person's heart."

Nevertheless, passivity does not reconcile differences or clear up misunderstandings. The Democratic Partymust take the initiative in regaining its say.

The Democratic Party has adopted the line of dialogue, and the radicals, that of confrontation. The outcomes of the District Council election scheduled for November next year will show which of the lines has received greater support. The Democratic Party's rivals are expected to bash it for its change in the run up tothe election. Therefore, it must do much district work topersuade citizens to support its ideas. Furthermore,the Democratic Party can no longer claim the moral high ground because its ideas of democracy are nolonger as direct and simple as they were. Therefore, it ought to come up with an exposition of democracy easily comprehensible to citizens. Only if it does so can it fend off radicals' and fundamentalist democrats'attacks.

Another noteworthy thing about the constitutionalreform is that moderate democrats have opened up the path of pushing for democratisation by having talks with the central government. It is a reality that, as far as Hong Kong's constitutional reform goes, the central government holds all the cards. Hong Kong people must deal with the central government. It used to remain backstage and have the SAR government deal with democrats on stage. It has now come onstage toface democrats and Hong Kong people directly. This change is of enormous significance. If the central government and democrats continue to interact constructively with each other, trust will grow between them. That would increase what is favourable to and decrease what is unfavourable to the introduction of genuine universal suffrage in Hong Kong.

It is clear from the Democratic Party's report that itwill continue to talk with the central government about Hong Kong's democratisation. We hope the centralgovernment will draw two lessons.

First, because some call the talks opaque, theDemocratic Party has unnecessarily come under pressure. Having been harmed, its explanations canhardly do the trick. Such talks must be transparent from the outset lest doubts should arise. This is extremely important.

Second, some are against the modified planmainly because the central government budged so suddenly that citizens had little time to talk about it.

Because it had little time for manoeuvre, theDemocratic Party was misunderstood and came under huge pressure. In our view, the central government ought to realise it is necessary to allow ample time for manoeuvre lest difficulties should arise that may marthe results of such talks.

2010.07.09 明報社評

交代有助消除誤解難絕政敵攻擊尋釁

民主黨公布與特區政府及中央的對話會談經過，從內容而言，若以理性客觀視之，總括而言有以下3 點：（1）民主黨於政治立場，沒有退縮；（2）民主黨嘗試與中央溝通對話，取得增加實質民主成分的階段性成果；（3）民主黨的路線、策略會否奏效，則尚待發展和觀察。縱使民主黨已經坦誠交代，我們認為仍然不能改變一些人的成見，也不能杜絕敵對政黨的攻擊，民主黨只能以日後的工作和表現，爭取更多人認同和支持。民主黨選擇以溝通對話路線推動民主進程伊始，已經遭到激進民主派揶揄、嘲諷和侮辱，民主黨為免激化矛盾，忍辱負重，取得成果之後，卻換來激進派更強力狙擊，雖說「路遙知馬力，日久見人心」，不過，只被動應對，不可能消除誤解，化解分歧，民主黨必須採取主動，爭回話語權。

民主黨的溝通對話路線，和激進派的對抗路線，明年11 月的區議會選舉，將會驗證哪一條路線得到更多市民認同和支持；可以預期，這次選舉，政敵會以民主黨的轉變為攻擊點。所以，未來一段日子，民主黨在地方層面要做大量工作，爭取更多市民認同其理念；另外，經過政改一役，民主黨在民主道德高地不再有優勢，因為它的民主理念，已經不若過往簡單直接，故此，民主黨必須有一套容易使市民理解的民主論述，才可以在日後的選舉中，抵擋激進派或民主原教旨主義者的攻擊。

這次政改，還有一點值得注意，就是溫和民主派開拓了一條透過與中央溝通對話，推動民主進程的新路。關於政改和民主化，政治現實是中央掌握全部籌碼，港人必須面對中央。過去，中央在幕後，只由台前的特區政府與民主派周旋，經過今次之後，中央站到台前，直接面對民主派和港人，這個轉變，意義極其重大。中央與民主派的互動若能良性發展，互信逐漸增加和積累，則對最終實施真普選，效果上將會消減阻力，增加助力。

從民主黨的報告，顯示他們對日後就民主進程，會與中央保持溝通，我們希望在兩方面汲取今次的教訓：首先，今次對話過程，被一些人指透明度不足，使民主黨要承受無謂的壓力，在對民主黨已經構成傷害情况下，費唇舌解說，只能收到事倍功半之效，故日後溝通對話，如何從一開始就增加透明度，杜絕猜疑，甚為重要。

其次，今次不少人抗拒改良方案，主要是中央突然讓步，使議題無較充裕時間在社會之間討論和發酵；民主黨也因為無足夠時間操作，使他們飽受誤解和承受巨大壓力。我們認為，日後若再有對話會談，特別是中央應該體認「要有較充裕時間迴旋」這一點，以免增加事態難度，影響效果。

Glossary

claim the moral high ground

claim that your side of an argument is morallybetter than your opponent's side.

exposition /?eksp ?'zI ʃ(?)n/

full explanation of a theory, plan etc.

do the trick

bring about the desired result.