IF the opinion polls are correct in reflecting that many Hong Kong people are not interested in constitutional reforms, then we must ask who is to blame for such a tragic and farcical scenario.
With only three years to go before the hand-over to Chinese Communist rule, Hong Kong people should be deeply concerned about political arrangements before and after 1997.
Apart from weariness, because the talks on political reforms have dragged on for almost two years, the main reason for apathy is that the Hong Kong people do not believe the Chinese Government will honour the promise it made in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration to give Hong Kong ''a high degree of autonomy''.
Neither do the people believe that Beijing will permit democratic elections in Hong Kong. Many suspect that ''trouble makers'' in the pro-democracy lobby will be banished in 1997.
Amid this feeling of powerlessness, one inescapable fact is that if the people make no effort to fight for democracy, they themselves will also have a lot to answer for.
Another reason for the lack of interest is Beijing's warning that Legco will be dismantled in 1997. Unlike the Hong Kong Government, the public takes this threat seriously, because the people know Beijing will have no hesitation in wreaking havoc out of spite or misguided advice.