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Alex Lo
SCMP Columnist
My Take
by Alex Lo
My Take
by Alex Lo

Let's scrap second consultation on Hong Kong political reform

The second public consultation on universal suffrage is about to start. I say scrap it.

The second public consultation on universal suffrage is about to start. I say scrap it.

The pan-democrats have already vowed to boycott it. Given the restrictive framework set by China's parliament, there is not much wiggle room for the Leung Chun-ying administration to come to terms with them even if it tried.

The upcoming consultation is bound to be a meaningless and wasteful exercise that will only trigger more bitter debate, protest and acrimony. However it turns out, it will not be accorded any legitimacy by the pan-democrats. So why not just skip the charade and start the fight now?

We already know what the proposed 2017 election system for chief executive will look like. There are a few technical details to be worked out, but these can be addressed when Leung presents the final draft reform for voting.

Assuming a united front among the pro-establishment lawmakers holds, the government only needs four pan-democrats to break ranks to secure the two-thirds majority it needs to pass the reform into law. But officials still have to plan for defectors, such as the ever unreliable James Tien Pei-chun. So they may need to convert one or two additional pan-dems.

But how? Two possible compromises: a high number of pre-candidates and a more representative nominating committee. Beijing only allows two or three final chief executive candidates, each of whom must secure over 50 per cent of votes from the committee. But it also insists on following the previous election committee closely. So why not allow any qualified Hong Kong citizens to become pre-candidates if they secure 12.5 per cent - or 150 votes - from committee members, as was the previous rule?

Secondly, the four sectors of the committee should be broadened to include all substantial segments of society, say university students and youth group leaders, ethnic minorities and news professionals. If no group overtly dominates or is under-represented, that would weaken the pan-democratic argument that the committee is unrepresentative.

Finally spell out what "love Hong Kong and China" really means. It doesn't require love of country or of the state. It only minimally requires the CE candidate not to oppose Beijing or the Communist Party.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Let's scrap second reform consultation
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