As a former legislative councillor, I find it difficult nowadays to explain to visiting friends that the legislature is becoming unbalanced because many lawmakers seem excessively tied down by two issues.
Firstly, there is the immoderate filibustering on an increased allowance of HK$2,200 for the elderly.
Secondly, they have been asking the chief executive to appear before the legislature to question his veracity, integrity or negligence on statements he made verbally or in writing regarding unauthorised structures at his home on The Peak.
If Hong Kong is to maintain its reputation as a progressive international city, it would be good for both sides to come to an early resolution of differences concerning these unauthorised structures.
The chief executive and the legislature can then proceed to focus on other vital issues, such as rising transport costs, air pollution, better working hours and so on.
I am particularly concerned that, if the present political climate continues to stagnate, there will not be sufficient time to weigh the local and national constitutional procedures on meaningful electoral reform for the 2016 Legislative Council election and the 2017 chief executive election, presumably conducted by universal suffrage.