THE Democratic Party is portraying the resignation of the Reverend Fung Chi-wood as a matter of personalities. The issues, however, run deeper. Hong Kong has little experience of party politics and all parties can draw lessons from the tensions that helped prompt Mr Fung's move.
Party politics has, to date, remained largely underdeveloped, with individual parties defining themselves in terms of their relationship to China. The merger of the United Democrats and Meeting Point that gave birth to the Democratic Party was born of the Beijing massacre and nurtured by a shared distrust of China.
However, one-issue parties tend to be short-lived and tensions have arisen as the Democratic Party has sought to develop policies on a range of matters that concern voters: everything from bus fares to human rights. There has been a cultural clash between the stridency of the United Democrats and the more conciliatory style of Meeting Point.
Mr Fung's uncompromising and undiplomatic style has heightened these tensions: his resignation statement displays an arrogance with which any party might find it hard to deal. In addition, Mr Fung's electoral difficulties in Tai Po may well have influenced his decision. He failed to win re-election to the Regional Council last month and his Legco prospects were looking dim.
Nonetheless, clashes of style and substance are a hallmark of party politics: heat is generated as alliances are forged. To be successful, a political party must be able to accommodate diverse personalities yet enforce sufficient discipline to ensure that policy debates are not allowed to degenerate into public clashes.
Activists should learn that the twin extremes of political idealism and personal ambition must take second place to the requirements of unity and loyalty if a party is to achieve anything. As the 19th century British political philosopher, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, said: 'A party to be strong, should always appear strong; the show often wins the battle . . .' The Democrats appear less than united after Mr Fung's departure.
