The League of Social Democrats yesterday indicated that it was willing to compromise over constitutional reform, after the Civic Party announced a proposal which was close to the League's call for mass resignations designed to trigger a de facto referendum. The resignations idea is that a resulting by-election would measure popular demand for full reform.
The Democratic Party also came under pressure to join in, with smaller pan-democratic groups saying that the recent unilateral floating of various strategies by the bigger parties might split the camp's unity.
Legislator 'Long Hair' Leung Kwok-hung of the League welcomed the Civic Party's plan to adopt a 'negotiation first, de facto referendum second and mass resignation final' strategy to push for universal suffrage. Saying that the League, with its three lawmakers, could not trigger a de facto referendum alone, Leung said that his party was 'willing to compromise' in order to achieve unity among its allies.
'We are not a religion,' he said. 'We are a political party. We will make adjustments following discussions within the camp on how to consolidate our strength in the fight for universal suffrage.'
His remarks stopped short of dropping the League's long-held insistence that any reform plan short of electing the chief executive and all members of the legislature by 2012 should not be discussed.
But it was the clearest indication yet that a stumbling block posed by the radical faction was being removed in order for the camp to work out a new bottom line when negotiating with the government.