AT A time when the integrity of politicians in many countries is taking a severe battering, the Hong Kong people are invited to consider whether Legislative Councillors should be full-time politicians with only one income.
In the past few years, a tidal wave of revulsion against corrupt, self-serving and incompetent politicians has swept the free world.
In Japan, the long-lived Liberal Democratic Party was thrown out of office last August following a series of scandals on corruption and influence-peddling. A similar sea change is expected in Italy, where a number of top politicians have been arrested and many more are expected to be turfed out in the forthcoming general election.
The most dramatic so far, however, was the Canadian general election last November, which saw the ruling Conservative Party all but wiped out.
In the US, 15 states have approved laws which seek to cap congressional terms of office. In Washington, the law limits House of Representatives members to three two-year terms over 12 years, and senators to two six-year terms over 18 years.
This is part of a grass-roots rebellion against political incumbents. However, a federal judge in Washington has ruled that it is unconstitutional to make would-be candidates ineligible on the basis of incumbency or congressional service.