Are Hong Kong people really ready for democracy?

There have been persistent demands by pro-democracy groups for universal suffrage and the freedom to choose candidates and to elect the chief executive. The people of Hong Kong should ask and answer the question: Democracy, what democracy?

The fundamental principles of democracy are that every eligible citizen has the right to vote, and the minority will must go along with the majority. Constraints of time and cost have led to accepted variations of these principles.

Democracy depends on voters having the political awareness to understand the issues of the time, and the policies and ideas put forward by the candidates in order to cast their votes wisely. Hence the requirement that eligible voters are of a minimum age and are mentally sound.

The people of Hong Kong need to ask themselves if they have such a political awareness, and which model of democracy they want.

Some of the legislators elected in the past only seem able to criticise government policies and are unable to utter a sensible sentence on workable policies, let alone how to implement them. Thus, it would appear that our precious votes have gone to those who gave worthless sound bites. So the answer to the first question must be "no".

It is less clear which model of democracy the people of Hong Kong could adapt. Throughout the world, voters can be bought, intimidated, manipulated or misled by ambitious politicians who are "economic with the truth" at best.

In many Western countries, images and sound bites are what impress people, more than substance and ability. This leads to politicians losing the trust and respect of the people because they fail to deliver their promises, or are found to have lied to get votes.