On July 1, more than 40,000 people took to the streets to vent their anger and frustration at the inept administration of Donald Tsang Yam-kuen. This is the sixth consecutive year in which Hong Kong people have marched in huge numbers to demonstrate against the government.
The biggest show of force was in 2003, when well over half a million people dressed in black protested against legislation on national security, which many feared would endanger freedoms and undermine the rule of law. The people were deeply dissatisfied with then chief executive Tung Chee-hwa, secretary for security Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and financial secretary Antony Leung Kam-chung.
Days after the march, Mrs Ip and Mr Leung resigned. Two years later, Mr Tung also stepped down. The triumph of people power was exhilarating. Sadly, while these demonstrations managed to remove unpopular politicians they failed to help Hong Kong secure democratic government.
To people's dismay, the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) decided in April 2004 that Hong Kong could not elect the chief executive nor all members of the Legislative Council by universal and equal suffrage in 2007 and 2008. In December last year, the NPCSC further ruled out direct elections in 2012.
In response to the popular desire for universal suffrage, the NPCSC said the chief executive could be elected by one person, one vote in 2017, and if that election goes well, all Legco members could be elected in the same manner in 2020.
This was neither a categorical promise nor an official undertaking, and many people were convinced that candidates unacceptable to Beijing would not be allowed to stand for election as chief executive.
As for the 2020 Legco election, Mr Tsang has told legislators that the functional constituencies, a form of limited franchise whereby handpicked companies and professional people are given an extra vote to choose legislators from their own groupings, can be turned into universal suffrage, with a bit of tinkering.